The Ties that Bind
by Dalakh
Summary: Wyatt wants to stop Chris once and for all... by coming back to pay his mother a visit, and killing her before Chris is even born. But if that doesn't work, there are other ways...Note: occasional bad language.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:** Big sorry to all of you guys waiting for the next chapter of my Star Wars fic... it's coming! Honestly! It's just there's a mile high road block in the way and no amount of chiselling will get it down. On the upside, during said chiselling, this came out!  
  
**Spoilers:** Hard to say, since I have only seen 2 episodes of season 6: the second one and the third one, i've seen bits of five and bits of four and pretty much all of 1-3 (LivingTV is my hero)... I'm going by fanfic and what seems to be the common denominators in most as well as what i could glean from episode summaries  
  
**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**Chapter One**   
  
Wyatt Halliwell was not pleased. And when Wyatt Halliwell felt like that things tended to die. Unfortunately for the demon next to him, the source of his displeasure wasn't there at the moment.  
The demon disintegrated into flames as soon as his energy ball connected with it.  
"You are trying my patience, Christopher."  
  
It was pointless, of course, to berate his younger brother now since Chris was not in the Now, he was still in the Then, pathetically trying to prevent the Now, clinging to archaic and useless ideas of good and evil.  
It was the last of the reconnaissance reports from the past that angered him: Chris was actually single-handedly eliminating every demon that might have the slightest connection to his apparent 'turning'. No wonder a number of them had just _disappeared_ of late.  
  
There was only _one_ way to stop errant Christopher, only one; and, as the old saying went, _if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself_. He never wanted it to come to this -Chris had always been his favourite brother, his closest sibling in more than age, the one he would share his powers with, but there was only so much he could overlook.  
"Rovinas!" One of his closer advisors, Wyatt could rely on Rovinas as long as any plans disclosed to him were in the demon's best interest. "Cancel my meeting with the troll ambassadors tomorrow. I'm busy."  
Rovinas nodded his horned grey head and left. Wyatt wasted no time in getting to work writing a new spell and devising a potion to compliment it. Spells were his forte, ever since they were children out of the two of them he was always the spell-writer and Chris the potions-maker, the perfect team.  
  
His cauldron smoked and bubbled, scorch marks covered the large oak table and scattered pieces of paper lay about the surrounding area. Outside, the sky turned a rosy pink above the desolate ruins of San Fransisco as morning first broke across the land.  
"You should have listened, little brother."  
  
Pocketing a few extra vials (just in case, he told himself), Wyatt took his newest spell and orbed to the Manor Museum, previously the Halliwell's ancestral home before he realised the need to preserve it, as a reminder to mortals of the power born unto witches.  
  
Wyatt drew over the faded chalk lines of multiple past Triquetra's on the well-kept attic wall, threw one vial of the royal blue potion at it's centre and began to chant:  
_"On this day and in this time,  
Magic words in this rhyme,  
Send me back through planes and space,  
Where Christopher lives to change lives evil faced."  
_   
A portal swirled into existence; a mixture of blues and gold's replacing a portion of the wall. Stepping through it without hesitation he felt his body and consciousness filter and float, expand, surge and a hundred other sensations, until there was a tug, a pull and finally an overwhelming push that coalesced him and forced him out the portal exactly where he said the spell.  
But not exactly when.  
  
"Wyatt!"  
He smirked at his brother's surprise, rounded on the figure that stood so astounded by the Book of Shadows.  
"Hello Christopher, miss me?"  
  
-   
  
"What was that?"  
Piper looked at Phoebe shaking her head, She'd been busy trying to get Wyatt to eat his breakfast as opposed to flinging it everywhere.  
The middle sister explained, "I thought I heard a shout from the attic."  
  
"Maybe Chris found s-s-something?" Paige suggested, yawning mid-sentence.  
A loud crash echoed from upstairs.  
Piper grabbed Wyatt from his high chair, "Or maybe not!"  
  
"Chris?" Phoebe called as they ran through the house, leaving Paige by the island halfway through pouring herself a large cup of coffee.  
  
"It'd be much quicker to orb y'know." She muttered, orbing herself to the source of the shout but still managing to arrive at the same time as her sisters, since she delayed by talking to herself, again. Maybe that was a not-so-helpful habit? Paige shook her head at her own second-guessing thoughts -which most certainly were not helpful or useful -and focused on the scene that had Piper and Phoebe so shocked, and quickly found herself as shocked as they.  
Their whitelighter, Piper's son from the future, was being held in the remains of what was once a lovely, rather old, glass fronted cabinet feet dangling a foot off the ground and choking by the hand of some invisible force.  
  
"Ra- he- r-" Broken syllables struggled past a constricted throat as Paige and Phoebe tried desperately to pull him down in the hopes that it would help. "Run!" He finally managed, locking Phoebe with a pleading gaze for her to do so.   
  
"What? Run?" Piper shifted Wyatt on her hip, frustrated, "Why?"  
Chris, however, was in no position to explain further.  
  
"Because of me." The three sisters spun around to face the voice the serious voice. Chris' fight to breathe was the only sound to fill the room; in Piper's arms Wyatt buried his face into the folds of her shirt. "He's scared of what I might do, aren't you Chris?"  
A man stepped out of the shadows behind the door. Blonde hair hung long falling below his ears, hooded black eyes looked out uncaring and a smirk that held no humour lay on his lips.  
"What's the matter, don't you recognise me mother?"  
Piper gasped, clutching her two-year-old closer.  
"Or is it that you do and you just don't like what you see?" He sighed melodramatically, "You always told me that I could be whatever I wanted to be. So this is what I am -the leader of a free world!"  
The man, who, dressed in black could've easily been just another darklighter, was their evil nephew from the future Chris was trying to prevent. Above them Chris' lips were turning blue, his attempts to release himself growing proportionately weaker and his eyes beginning to glaze over as the oxygen deprivation started to kick in.  
  
----------  
  
**Author's Note:** So how was it? Should I bother to continue? It's my first ever Charmed fic... so i'm only a _liiiiittle_ self-conscious  
Oh, and I apologise for the paragraphing... it's indented on my compy but since fanfiction is being a little sob now, i had to come up with a new way and I'm slowly reformatting it :S (re-uploaded 19th Aug. to fix typos).  
  



	2. Chapter Two

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**Rating Note:** It's for language only, folks :) Blame Chris.... Wyatt is about to kill his mother and his language went PHOAAAAF!  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Two**  
  
Piper was the first to overcome the shock that had fallen on them like ten tonnes of bricks, grasping _her_ little Wyatt ever closer as if in doing so it would make the fratricide going on around her not true,  
"You are not my son! Let Chris go right this instant!"

The smirk grew wider, a chilling expression to witness… that of a predator to its prey.  
"Come now mom, do you really think you have any power over _me_ any more? _I'm_ not a toddler!" With a quick motion of a hand Chris flew up and smashed through the last of the cabinet to the wall. He slid to the floor, unconscious.  
"It's not him I want. Well, not directly. I would never _kill_ him, he knows that. And that's why it's unfortunate for you."

Paige crouched over Chris' limp form, taking in the shallow breathing and the blood-matted hair from a knock to the back of his head and came to a decision. "You're sure as hell cutting that line close! Leo! LEO!"  
A swirl of orbs came and left, depositing one Leo Wyatt.  
"Blesse- Paige! What happened?" His serene expression dissolved into concern, taking in the scene around them, and finally, "Chris!"

"Heal!" The half-whitelighter Charmed One instructed, once the golden glow began, giving Chris' skin around Leo's hands a temporary luminous effect, then she explained. "_He_," she pointed to future Wyatt, "happened."

"Hi _dad_."  
  
Wyatt's voice held a sinister edge that Piper wasn't sure what to make of. He was just standing there, leaning nonchalantly against a sofa, it was almost like…  
"What are you waiting for?" she asked, fearing the answer. Whatever the response was it wouldn't be good and she knew she definitely wouldn't like it. If he wasn't going to kill Chris that how could Wyatt get him?

Chris awoke with a start, jerking upwards against Leo's hands that still hovered above his chest, he gasped for air and gulped it down greedily.

"That." He said simply, standing up from his comfortable lean. In one wave of his hand little Wyatt disappeared in a flurry of orbs and Piper flew into a pile of heavy boxes.  
Chris pushed himself off the floor, running to his mother at the same time as the others -Paige didn't need to be an empath to know he feared for her. As one they were pushed backwards behind a blue force field, made to watch and unable to intervene as Wyatt stalked over to a very dazed Piper, an energy ball building up power in his hand. Chris realised his intentions and a heavy, sickly feeling settled in his stomach, gripping his heart 'til he felt every beat and skip.  
"Wyatt no! She's our mother!"

"Correction, little brother she's _my_ mother. You're not born yet, remember?" He played with the energy ball, juggling it between his hands like it was just a baseball.  
"What? Chris you've watched her die before how hard can it be to do it again?"  
There it was again, that smirk. That self-confident, sneering, superior smirk, that now sickening smirk that Chris could remember from every stage of his life. When one of them did something and Wyatt got the credit; when Wyatt got away with everything and they got punished for the same things, especially Chris; when he and his brothers tried to convince their mother that Wyatt had used magic for personal gain and no-one believed him; when Wyatt bound his powers as a practical joke and Chris got the blame for not saving their mother… he hated that smirk.  
The others had caught on now, were screaming at Wyatt, throwing themselves against the force field, trying to orb through it…. Chris already knew doing all that was useless, that force field was completely magic-proof. He'd been in this position countless times before, forced to watch because Wyatt _liked him best_, forced to watch Ben and Brennan… That didn't mean he could stand to watch his mother die again. His shouts joined Leos.

"Wyatt! Don't!" His screams fell on deaf ears (again), so he spared a moment to sense for baby Wyatt; he was downstairs in his playpen -safe and oblivious. He felt better and shouted again.  
Future Wyatt let out a snort of laughter, taunting them further by throwing the energy ball. It scorched the floor barely inches from Piper's head, singeing her hair.  
This time Chris joined them in throwing himself at the 'field, cursing the man his brother had become -one so low as to come back and kill his own mother. Their mother. The consequences of such an action… he felt his heart skip a beat and go faster.  
"You're a coward Wyatt! If you want to kill me don't do it through me! You hear me? You're a _fucking_ _coward_!"

"Say goodbye to mommy Chris. Oh, you better too dad, Aunts."

"Fight _me_ Wyatt! Don't get mom involved!"

He smirked and raised his hand, a new energy ball floating over his fingers, Chris' words rolling of him.

**(TBC)**

* * *

**Author's Note:** _-grins madly and falls over in shock-_ WHOAH! I never dreamed I'd get so many reviews for my entire first Charmed fic! Let alone the first chapter :D Just... wow.... feels great! Please go ahead and review again! I love this feeling!  
Oh.... sorry about the cliffie :P  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**

**The Celtic Angel: lol gem you sound like s two-year old :P There's your more, i keep changing it ;)**  
  
**Sakari: God? Why thank you.... or did you mean good? ;) That gave me giggles :D**  
  
**piper wyatt-halliwell 1973: actually.... she already knows.... my episode timeline will obviously be screwed because i don't have one ;) I've seen up to the one with the dragon now, but i missed th first part of the valhalla one, and i've not seen the end of s5 so....**  
  
**zoned-out: As long as one person is :D**  
  
**Jenn: There you go :)**  
  
**Pixiedust-hunnie: Does that answer any of your questions? Don't die! Don't die!**  
  
**Cat Yuy: Continued I have... your interest still peaked?**  
  
**Kel: Updated updated! ;) :D**  
  
**gabwr: _-singsong Dory voice-_ just keep writing just keep writing....**  
  
**AK8: Continued :) You still think it's good? lol.**  
  
**ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: Well it's made it's way to the second chapter... :D**  
  
**Karen: No problem, thank you for sharing a review :D**  
  
**Aldrea7: _-blush-_ Well I hope this wasn't too long... Quite quick for me actually ;)**  
  
**Angel black: Ooo funky name! Liking a bad guy? Well making him likable wasn't the objective... but hay :D I'll run with that!**  
  
**darcy101: _-grins madly-_ that's the nicest thing i've ever heard :D :D**  
  
**Queen of the Elven City: OMG! That was my favourite line too lol!**  
  
**Ashley: Conflicted brotherly problems rock!!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Three**  
  
"NO!"  
  
Two figures launched through the portal, barrelling into Wyatt with their momentum and forcing him to drop the force field and drop the energy ball to the floor in surprise.  
An older girl, about twenty with auburn hair threw him to the attic ceiling telekinetically while he was still reeling from the shock attack. The other, younger with brown hair, recited something under her breath.  
  
"What are you doing here?!" Chris cried, throwing shards of glass at Wyatt as his older brother picked himself up off the floor and began advancing on their position. "Man, actually? I don't wanna know." He answered his own question, waving off their answers, "On three we push him back through the portal, and if we do it together we should be strong enough. One." Wyatt began chanting under his breath, "Two." Paige redirected an energy ball from where Leo was healing Piper to the broken cabinet, "Three!"  
Hands outstretched and concentration etched on all three faced they fought Wyatt's own powers to levitate him back into the attic.  
  
"What's he chanting?" asked the auburn-haired one.  
  
"How am I supposed to know? Let's just get him out of here," Chris replied, "And you two are gonna follow right behind him."  
  
"Yeah yeah," said the brunette, "I want a thanks before we do."  
  
With Wyatt still whispering whatever it was he was whispering and now metres away, Chris saw the edges of the portal begin to thin and dim, slowly getting smaller. Panic that had been filtering away came back full force again.  
If they didn't get though… Wyatt would be stuck in this time. They'd never get a chance to block all time portals like he'd been planning this morning.  
"He's closing the portal! Go! Now!"  
Chris sent a surge of extra power towards Wyatt; the older Halliwell flew violently through the now barely-there time portal, the cracking sound of bone breaking echoing around the attic as his arm hit the wall. The auburn haired girl ran though with a last glance at Chris, leaving the brunette to exchange a lingering look with the young witch-whitelighter before running after her time-travelling accomplice… only to run smack-bang into the attic wall.  
It was too late.  
  
"Ow." Was all she said, sitting on the floor, "Okay? Um,  
_Hear this text,  
Heed my rhyme,  
Take me though space and time,  
To where I lived before this contest._"  
Nothing happened. No portal, no swirl of lights. Not even a pop. She turned to the Halliwell's who'd been watching from aside, unable to help. Ignoring the sisters and Leo she focused on Chris.  
"A little help? I need to go home now that we stopped Wyatt for awhile!"  
  
"I know, how about together, and with a proper spell."  
  
"Hey! It wasn't that bad!"  
  
"Whatever, look say 'Hear these words, hear the rhyme, heed the hope within my mind. Send me back to where I'll find what I wish in place and time'. Okay?"  
  
"I hate you."  
  
Chris gave his own version of the Halliwell smirk, "No you don't. Come on."  
She sighed and took his cue,  
"_Hear these words, hear the rhyme  
Heed the hope within my mind.  
Send me back to where I'll find  
What I wish in place and time._"  
"Maybe the Power of Three?" she asked hopefully when no portal appeared.  
  
Leo shook his head, "I doubt it will work, Wyatt probably blocked portals _to_ his time."  
  
"And you know that how?" Piper asked Leo accusingly.  
  
"It'd make sense."  
  
"So the all-knowing all-mighty Leo can predict the future now can he?" the girl smirked, sarcasm dripping from her voice.  
  
"Not now Cadey." Chris warned, and then to the girls, "Could you at least try? Please?"  
  
"Sure, honey. C'mon you two." Said Piper, rallying her sisters together. With practised ease the three witches spoke in unison, directing their words at the faint Triquetra outline still present on the wall from another time,  
"_Hear these words, hear the rhyme  
Heed the hope within my mind.  
Send me back to where I'll find  
What I wish in place and time._"

Once again nothing. Cadey dropped back onto the attic floor. "Great. And where's my thank you? Poof!" She flicked her hands outwards, "Nowhere!"  
  
"_Thank you_ Cadey. But what the _hell_ were you and Jenna doing here? Don't you _ever_ listen to me?"  
  
Cadey stuck out her tongue, "You're welcome; saving... Piper and you; and no, well, sometimes."  
  
"Um, excuse me, but don't you think you should tell us what's goin' on?" Paige suggested. Now that the weird action of the day was over a new weirdness was present. Another person from the future.  
  
"Ye-ah. Let's start with who she is, Chris. You know her?" said Piper,  
  
"I am here, you know." Cadey muttered, flicking a dust bunny that was trapped in a nook between the floorboards.  
Chris ignored her, focusing on his mother for the moment, "Future consequences, mom."  
  
"Aw come on Perry…" Cadey got up off the floor and gave Chris a pleading look, "They can know my name!"  
  
Chris relented, but only a little. The timeline really didn't need another future person in the past. "First name only."  
  
She rolled her eyes at him, "Careful there, might destroy the oh-so-wonderful future. My name's -"  
  
"Cadey, we kinda heard." Phoebe said, disappointment colouring her voice. Chris worried what she could feel, especially since Leo and Cadey were the only ones who hadn't taken the Empath blocking potion she would only picking up on them… meaning it would be much easier to identify what Cadey was surely feeling.  
  
"Wow, quick in this time aren't they? What happens to that?"  
  
Chris shot her a withering look and rolled his eyes, putting a hand over her mouth,  
"We need to talk, privately." He added the last part for Leo and Paige's benefit and orbed Cadey out with him.

* * *

"What just happened here?" Paige asked incredulously, hands on her hips.  
  
"I think," Phoebe spoke slowly in disbelief, "Future Wyatt just tried to kill Piper."  
  
"And Chris." Piper placed her hands protectively over her abdomen that showed only a small bump.  
Leo went to put an arm around her shoulder when the familiar jingle made him stop. He orbed out with a distant, "I've got to go."  
  
Piper walked out numbly and sat heavily on her bed. What kind of future did her babies live in? What kind of mother was she if one of her little boys turned out to be an evil monster -the kind she'd been vanquishing for six years -and the other was so neurotic that he could shock veteran of all personal troubles, Jerry Springer.  
"Piper, are you okay sweetie?"  
Phoebe perched on the edge of her sister's bed, at that moment very glad for the Empath blocking potion if the turbulent gaze in Piper's eyes was anything to go by.  
"_He_ just tried to kill his younger brother! And me! I am not within a _thousand_ miles of 'okay! I'm the mother of a murderer, I'm -"

Phoebe cut in quickly, "Not responsible for that version of Wyatt." She drew her big sister into a firm hug, "That _thing_ isn't your son, just like you said. _Your_ son, _your_ Wyatt, is downstairs with Paige, being fascinated by his brightly colour blocks."  
  
Piper didn't reply, but Phoebe felt hot tears on her shirt and hugged her more tightly, "Thanks to Chris we can stop that future, you can be the great mother you are to them now until they're forty and your hair is, is straggly and grey,"  
Piper hiccupped a half-sob half-laugh and Phoebe stroked her hair, still talking,  
"Your children will love you back just as much -look at Chris now -and they'll be good and wonderful and lovely, just like their parents. Like they were meant to be." After that they didn't speak. Phoebe comforted and rocked her sister until she fell asleep, despite the early hour, eyes red from distraught tears that should have been soothed by her husband.  
Not long after Piper's breathing evened out a loud giggle reminded her of Paige and their young nephew downstairs. How long had she been sitting up here?  
As quietly as possible, Phoebe picked up a throw and covered her big sister -who right now looked very young -and hurried downstairs to a rather amusing scene, struggling to contain her laughter, Phoebe snickered.  
"Y'know Paige, Wyatt is the one who's supposed to eat the food?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** _-sniffles and cries-_ I lost some readers somewhere... did a demon get them? Oh well, maybe they'll find their way back :) Depending on how my GCSE results go (ON THURSDAY! EEP!) the next chapter will be posted, uuuh sooner or soon. LOL. Oh look, it's raining again....  
  
**Review Thank You's To:**  
**Jackie: Hi :D Thanks _-blushes-_ :D  
  
****teal-lover: Hiya! OMG! Your fic is great! I love it to pieces! Heheee (I'm a _wiiiiitle_ bit of a fan) is very evil lol :S Oooo we have a Chris supporter! :D Anyone wanna be Wyatt's supporter? Then we could get someone for Piper, Paige, Leo, Phoebe and a few other people...who are being written in soon lol.  
  
****Calen: _-snort-_ sorry.... hi :) i've just got this image of a GI Chris pulling out the pin and lobbing in orbs to Wyatt's throat! Keeps making me giggles to myself and everyone thinks i'm insane!  
  
****purpleant: Hay :) Ooo I like shocking people :D Yeah.... Wyatt's a bit of an evil bugger really...  
  
****deranged black kitten of doom: OH WOW! Your s/n is pretty damn cool! Really! I like it :D Yep, i'm evil.... don't worry. It's a good evil :D So... what did you think? Thought i'd throw her in there. Don't know if I'm gonna send in any lions in yet though :D  
  
****melissa: hullo :) teeheeee :D Better? No cliffie this time :) And btw -spongebob is scary! I only saw 5 minutes and had to turn it off! It's a freaky show! A sponge! Living in the ocean! Who dances! And TALKS in a really HIGH voice! AAAAH!  
  
****DrewFullerFan4Life: haaay :D here's more :D  
  
****Drewfuller4eva: hehee hi :) lol that's what i said to myself!  
  
****Magical Princess: Hey:) Yup :)  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: LOL! Well here was the next installment :)**


	4. Chapter Four

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Four**   
  
"Caden! _What_ did I tell you?!" Chris had orbed them atop Golden Gate Bridge and was now pacing up and down one of the horizontal metal bars.   
  
"We couldn't just let him do it!"   
  
"We? Whose idea was it?"   
  
"Well, mine, but we were brainstorming and this was the best there was with such short notice! Would you rather now not exist?"   
  
"Caden the Resistance is not made up of you, Ryan and Jenna alone! There are people more experienced in these matters! Why you?"   
  
Angry, Caden orbed from her beam to his and halted his pacing, sarcasm dripped from her voice once again, "Geez I'd almost think you were unhappy to see me, Perry!  
"Who went with Jenna was between Ryan and me 'cause we know the most about this time and the others decided Ryan could help better in our time _because_ he is more experienced and I would be better this time because I have telekinesis. Do you think I _wanted_ to leave? Chris, I can barely remember her and there she was! Right in the same room! I so badly wanted to hug her and tell her how much I missed her but I couldn't because she can't know who I am! I got the future consequences lecture! I don't know how you did it or how they know who you are now but I can't! I had to be in the same room as _Leo_ knowing what he did to you and Ryan and Brennan and Ben and then to Wyatt! I wish there was someone else who could've come, but there wasn't! It was just supposed to be an in and out thing! Not this!"   
  
Chris pulled her into a bear hug, barely noticing the wind that buffeted them and tried to knock them off the bridge, "Hey don't cry Cadey, I'm just worried about you, not pissed off. Not at you anyway, at Wyatt. C'mon… you know me. I'm always worrying. And now I've got to look after Wyatt _and_ you… when I came back and left our time I knew that you were safe, between Ryan and Jenna and Oliver and Ally… And if anything _did_ happen it wouldn't matter so much, because it won't have ever happened, so we'll get through this. We always do, right?"   
  
Caden tugged on his jacket, twirled it around her fingers so she had something to look at, "I'm not a baby like this Wyatt, I'm nearly twelve now, remember? I'll help you. We'll stop everything that comes Wyatt's way!"   
  
Chris laughed, "No, you're not nearly twelve and how are you gonna do that if we're gonna avoid more future consequences?"   
  
"Well, I'm Cadey, uuh, Pearson. Witch extraordinaire, amazing telekinesis girl! Oh… that reminds me, Ryan and me found out a few things since you came back to fix you know… everything…" she trailed off, fiddling about in her pockets.   
  
"Which is…" he watched her carefully as she continued to dig around, pulling out bits of string, a few small crystals, several vials containing potions, a Swiss army knife, hang on. A knife? "What did I tell you about those?"   
  
"You told me not to get one. But you also told me that if I span around clockwise six times in the sunroom and hopped on my left leg twice that Santa would come. It's good to have handy, it's not just a knife. Now where is it? Can you hold these?" She handed over the bits and pieces and rummaged in her jacket pockets, "Aha!" She pulled out a colourless potion; in fact, it might have just been water for all he knew. He gave her a sceptical look.  
"We found out how to reverse the binding's that Wyatt performed on us, and Ally and Miles made these potions… so we can _all_ have _all_ our powers back. Ryan already took his, and I took mine too, that's how we found out about his plans 'cause he doesn't know yet…" She held out the potion, "If you want them. You gotta be bored of orbing and t-k by now, Chris."   
  
Now there was an offer he found hard to refuse… if he had all his powers it'd be much easier to protect Wyatt and the sisters, but they'd want answers. He wasn't twice-blessed, he was second born. He couldn't explain it all to them, not if he wanted the perfect future, not if he didn't want dire consequences… but he did miss a few of his powers, astral projection was especially one he sorely wished for. But what if, with his powers newly returned, he turned, just like Wyatt? He would possibly be facing the same evils that turned his big brother… and now Caden would be too. What if they turned? What if -   
  
"Chris? Hello? Perry? You there? You're not worrying again are you? C'mon… snap out of it! I know what you're thinking, you're worrying we'll turn but we won't! Think about it… Wyatt was always being treated differently and he'd had that seed of evil planted in his since before you were born, he grew up thinking that since he was 'twice-blessed' he was twice the person… helloo, earth to Chris. You in there? Don't make me full name you, mister!"   
  
Chris let his eyes re-focus from the nothingness they'd slipped into gazing at, and found her hovering at his eye level for the first time since they were younger. So it was true. And she was right, he supposed. He'd just have to be careful not to let the sisters see.  
"It would be nice to astral project again," he said, swapping the bits and bobs for the potion and twisting the top off the glass bottle, "Well, _bon appétit_."  
Throwing back the potion in one quick gulp (in his experience they never tasted nice, no matter who made them or what their purpose) he felt it run down his throat. It wasn't water, it was heavier, thicker…nothing felt different. He looked at her expectantly,  
"I don't think it's working, Cadey."   
  
"It takes a few seconds to work its way throu - uh oh."   
  
Chris had stumbled backwards clutching his stomach, very close to toppling off the very high up bridge. White light was filling his skin; blazing out from underneath his clothes… she understood that. She didn't understand why it hurt him. It wasn't supposed to! He cried out again, digging his nails into his skin as he wrapped his arms around himself, taking another gasping step backwards…  
"Chris! No don't -"  
It was too late; he'd already tried to put his foot down on something that wasn't there and started to fall. She reached after him desperately but he slipped her grasp, he was falling too fast and he was too preoccupied to orb himself to safety… he'd die…  
"CHRIS!"  
She couldn't loose another brother… she just had to remember how to orb. Years of no use meant she'd pretty much forgotten how, so she thought about how much she wanted to be where Chris was right now and where she wanted to be… somewhere safe. The attic. She wanted Chris and then she wanted to go to the attic. Finally, when she was screaming after him and desperately hoping it would work, the familiar sensation of every molecule in her body separating, mind moving everywhere and nowhere came to her and her blue and white orbs dived after him, racing gravity and daring it to try and beat her. She grabbed him, about ten metres from being a sea-tossed pancake, and orbed him to the attic.  
Thankfully, it was now empty but Cadey wasn't stupid. The clatter she'd made on landing would bring them up here in no time. How would she explain the orb if they guessed how she got here? How would she explain why Chris was now (thankfully) unconscious? She couldn't very well mention Wyatt bound his powers a few years ago and when they unbound them Chris became a miniature white-coloured sun and almost died when he fell off the Bridge, could she?   
  
"Oh my god! What happened? What did you do?" Piper, it seemed, was the closest. She rushed over to Chris, giving Caden an accusing glare and stroked a lock of brown hair from Chris' forehead as he twisted uncomfortably on the floor, a reminder of the pain he just felt etched into his creased, sweating, forehead.   
  
Cadey looked at Piper, felt the angry gaze and her throat constricted, tears welled up in her eyes and she had to look at the floor to stop them from falling. She couldn't take Piper being mad at her. "I -I -I'm sorry… it wasn't supposed to… I…"   
  
"Chris!" Paige and Phoebe orbed in, Wyatt on the latter's hip. Within seconds they too were at the witch-whitelighter's side. Caden backed away slowly, not wanting any more of Piper's attention or any from Paige or Phoebe. When she reached the door she ran out to the hallway and orbed out.   
  
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**Author's Note:** Nobody likes my story any more :( Oh well, Chris angst, Piper angst and a few near-death experiences coming up :)   
  
**Review Thank You's To:**  
**Queen of the Elven City: Aaah my faithful reviewer :D Oooo you like it that much? Well I'll have to make sure Chris' parts are living up to what you think :D  
  
****Calen: Well that's who she is... lollums...  
  
****Slayer: Kinda soon-ish ) Might put chapter 5 up in a few days, monday or tuesday if I get a chance :)  
  
****Magical Princess: :)  
  
****Angel Black: Hey! You're back! Can you spot the plot yet ;) ?  
  
****melissa-p: You can do them if you want, but just don't be surprised if i run and hide behind my Chris Muse ;)! Does this lessen the confusion? Even a little bit?  
  
**


	5. Chapter Five

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Five**  
  
Chris felt strange, or not so much strange as… comfortable. Safe. And, _whole_, he could feel the ground under the house, feel his powers _thrumming_ inside of him just like they used to. He hadn't felt like it for years so to feel so now was _very_ strange.  
Somebody was stroking his hair, just like his mom did when he was little; he turned towards the sensation and snuggled down further and heard a light laugh. He knew that laugh; he breathed in deeply and knew that scent too, that mixture of perfume and her favourite spice, cinnamon. He opened his eyes and blinked in the dim light, staring blearily at a blurred brown-haired figure beside him, "Mom?"  
  
"Yes, honey, it's okay, you're safe now."  
  
Chris rubbed his eyes to remove the sleep that'd settled in the corners of his eyes and wondered what was wrong with this scene. He strained his ears and heard nothing, except a few undeterminable sounds from the kitchen and realised, as his sleep-addled brain woke up with a jolt, that he was still in the past. That's why it was so quiet; there was only little Wyatt alive at the moment… where was Caden?  
  
"Where's Caden?"  
  
"Caden?" Piper looked confused, making room for him to sit up on the couch that Paige must have orbed him to.  
  
"Cadey, my," he paused, he couldn't give away anything about the Halliwell's and their future families, "my friend from the future?"  
He watched her eyes take on that hardened look that he knew meant she was angry. What had Cadey done? Surely she wasn't in trouble already?  
  
"She left," There was that cold tone too. "She must have blinked after she did whatever it was she did to you. It's okay she's gone now. Honey, I don't think she was who you think she was."  
  
An icy lead weight settled in his stomach as what Piper said began to sink through and he sat bolt upright, getting his legs tangled in the blanket that he was snuggling in to just a minute earlier.  
"Blinked? What! No, mom she saved me! I fell off the bridge and she made sure I was safe, that I didn't die!"  
  
"Then how did she get here? Only warlocks can blink and only demons can shimmer, Chris. There isn't any other way she could've got here. Maybe Wyatt sent another of his lackeys in your friends form…"  
  
"Mom! She isn't evil, she's good! And there are other ways of transportation, I've, I've got to go find her. I'll be right back," he quailed under her gaze that dared him to not be right back and orbed out with a final, "I promise."  
  
Chris found Cadey in the same place he found her last time she went missing: at the beach. Except that in this time the water wasn't sludge and it wasn't a horrible brown-green-black murky colour; it was a crystalline blue-green to his eyes, crashing into the rocks and smelling of salt. The beach was sandy too, there weren't any bodies rotting in corners or under the shadows of the rocks or being washed in by the sluggish sludge-filled tide. The sand was still soft. "Why did you leave the manor? It isn't any safer for an eleven year old to roam the streets of San Francisco now that it is in our time y'know."  
  
"Piper was mad at me for hurting you. I don't want her to be mad at me, I don't wanna be yelled at by her."  
  
Chris sat next to her, watching his sister from the corner of his eye. She sat like she did that day when he was fourteen and she was five: legs pulled up to her chest and arms hugging them closer.  
The only differences were they were older now and their mother was alive.  
"You can still call her mom with me, you know that right?"  
  
She shook her head fiercely screwing her eyes shut; her ponytail began to fall out of the overly stretched hair band.  
"No I can't. If I think of her as Piper I'm less likely to slip up in front of them."  
  
"What about Leo?"  
  
"His name's on my birth certificate don't mean I have to call him dad."  
  
"You used to," he pointed out, "and for you it's doesn't, you're not allowed to have bad grammar yet." He wiped some of the sea-spray from his eyes and noticed that she didn't bother: the seawater intermingled with salty tears that were slowly tracking down her face. He knew then she hadn't noticed, otherwise they'd have been hastily rubbed away and lied about already.  
  
This was why he didn't want her in this time -for all her ability to deal with evil (an ability, he told himself, she shouldn't have had to cultivate in the first place) she was still just eleven.  
  
"Yeah well," she said and sniffed in the cold air, "Leo sucks, you shouldn't have tried to keep what he did to you guys from me for so long. I'm not a child."  
He shook his head; there was the other problem. She acted and sometimes even thought a lot older than she was, because in their time not growing up meant not living to grow up.  
Another thing on his list: to make sure all his family got a childhood.  
  
"Is Piper still mad at me?"  
  
"She thinks you're evil, that you shimmered or blinked into the attic."  
  
"Oh." She played with the laced of her sneakers and strands of hair fell forward, "She's not gonna blow me up is she? Or try to vanquish me?"  
  
"I hope not." He stretched his legs, holding out a hand to help her up, "If she does we'll tell her that after she and Leo got married it was easier for other witch/whitelighter couples to stay together and have kids. You're from one of them."  
She nodded and clambered easily over the rocks, leaving him behind to levitate down to the shore -since the beach was empty there was no reason he had to make a fool out of himself with his inability to climb the overly large stones. He was more of a ball sports kinda guy; basketball was what he was best at.  
"Ready to go back?"  
  
"Na-uh." She chewed on her bottom lip, pulling it in and over her teeth "I wanna go for a walk."  
  
"We're not going for a walk unless it's to 1329 Precott Street, Pip. C'mon, I'll be right with you the entire time."  
  
"Promise? Even if Piper tries to blow me up?"  
  
"Even if she does try to blow you up." He took her hand, and with one final check for mortal bystanders, orbed them back to the Manor.  
  
The world re-appeared to a disconcerting scene: his aunts were trapped within the crystal cage that they usually used for demons. "Paige? Phoebe? What are you doing in there?"  
Their lips moved but no sound came to Chris or Cadey -someone had either removed their ability to speak or soundproofed the cage.  
"What? Speak slower!"  
It didn't help much, especially since he couldn't read lips, and by the screwed up look of Cadey's face, she couldn't either.  
  
"I think they're calling you a useless pathetic excuse for a witch, since you forgot to finish that spell from earlier."  
That voice. _That_ voice.  
  
"_Wyatt_." He spat, "What do you want?"  
  
"Come now Chris you're supposed to look up to me, not spit at me! And, well, you know me…" he swung something silver around on a finger. A necklace -mom's necklace, "I like to finish the big things that I start."  
  
Piper had been wearing that necklace earlier -if Wyatt had that then he had Piper too. He never thought Wyatt would stoop this low, not on purpose! Chris felt his power bubbling inside him and Cadey glared daggers at Wyatt. The ground began to tremor imperceptibly; the wind outside began to buffet the windows. He stood in front of her, blocking her view and spoke low, "What've you done with mom? Where is she?"  
  
The all to familiar smirk re-appeared, twisting Wyatt's facial features into an even more sickly expression. "You want her Christopher? And you, Caden? You want her too?" He held the necklace, with its tiny row of blue stones swishing along the smooth chain, up for them to see clearly, swaying it in front of their eyes. "If you want her, go find her. She'll be with dead old dad, if he isn't already dead. If you do before the next day chimes its first… eight? Shall we say? I won't kill her today, and you can live a little longer."  
  
"Wyatt don't! Please! They're -" Caden clamped her mouth shut abruptly, remembering that she was Cadey Pearson at the last minute. She wasn't Caden Halliwell anymore.  
  
"Tick tock tick tock, can't waste time because of the clock!" Wyatt let out a harsh laugh before blinking out, taking the necklace with him. Chris ran to the remaining sisters and let down the cage like he hadn't had a chance to earlier.  
  
"What happened? When did he get here? Was mom okay? How did he get Leo?" Chris demanded as soon as they stumbled free.  
  
"Whoah whoah whoah there! Slow down!"  
  
Phoebe put her fingers to her temples and rubbed circles, "Ya, and, Cadey, is it? Honey, calm down. We'll find Piper in time."  
Caden ignored her, sitting down on the couch and putting her head in her hands.  
"What's wrong with her?"  
  
"Nothing," Chris sighed, "She's just worried. She's… will be… a family friend, whenever Wyatt hid something we never found it. Not without him literally taking us to it."  
  
"And he's hidden Piper now too!"  
  
"Look, we know she's okay, so that's a start, right?" Paige looked so hopeful Chris couldn't fault her for trying, even if their situation was so completely devoid of it. He attempted to humour her, but it didn't come out quite right.  
  
"How is it okay? Piper is _gone_! How do you _know_ she's okay?"  
  
"Because, silly, you're not fading."  
  
"But I am." Caden lifted up an arm, staring at it, transfixed. She could make out the shadows of Chris, Phoebe and Paige behind it.  
  
**Author's Note:** Meh... angst soon lol. I've got a whole backstory for Chris' future (the evil Wyatt one) half in my head and half on the computer lol, so I'm trying to work it into the story ;)  
_-sniffle-_ I don't have the money to pay for 's extra services, so if there are any lurkers _-pokes into the virtual darkness-_ pleeeeease review! I don't get stats for my stories/chapters and whatever :(  
  
**Review Thank You's To:**  
**Jackie: Heheee :)  
  
****melissa-p: Well it's a day later than the latest date i intended to post it since this one came out at the same time as chapter four (i was one a roll! woo!), lol, but that's not so bad :D  
  
****darcy101: I'm sure you can! Do you have a fanfic account?  
  
****rhia: thanks :) And it's not even finished yet!  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: I was beginning to think I'd lost you! It was a nice little surprise, I cam on to upload and I had a review alert :D I love that kinda surprise!  
  
**


	6. Chapter Six

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Six**   
  
Piper clutched Leo's hand, willing it to keep warmer than it was, desperately wanting to help him but unable to even go near the arrow that protruded from his stomach because of the half-whitelighter inside of her. If she touched the poison coated shaft she would hurt tiny Chris, but at this rate with the poison still seeping into his blood Leo would die quicker.  
"I need you to stay awake, okay honey?" She swept a few sweat-soaked strands of hair from his forehead, willing his eyes to open so she could see the green-brown globes she'd grown to love so much. "Leo? Wake up right now or I swear you will _never_ hear the end of it so help me god!"   
  
"Piper?" Her efforts were rewarded; her gaze found his and locked it, daring him to break it.   
  
"Ye-ah, how're you feeling?"   
  
His managed a weak smile, his breath hitching with a wave of pain, "Like I've been shot…"   
  
"Just stay awake, okay? We'll find a way out of this, but you. Need. To. Stay. Awake. You got that?" She punctuated each word with a squeeze of his hand.   
  
"Where are we?"   
  
"Somewhere in the middle of nowhere." Piper spared a second to look away from his pale face and at the howling wind that was throwing up sandy mud and torn out grasses that were whipping past the cave she'd dragged them to after Wyatt dropped them in… wherever they were. Leo's eyes drifted closed, chest stayed still; Piper squeezed his hand so the area around her fingers turned white. "Leo!"   
  
"Mm?"   
  
"Let me see those eyes, pal, keep them open!" She had to wait longer this time, more agonising seconds that last time before his eyelids lifted so slowly she thought there was some kind of lead wait attached to them. "How about we talk? As in I say something, then you say something, and we keep going until my sisters and Chris come to get us?" She watched, like she seemed to do so much these days and even more these past few hours, as his chest rose, fell, one two three four, rose, one two three, fell, one two three four five, rose… longer and longer. Her eyes started to well from not blinking -fear that if she closed her eyes, even for the shortest of split seconds, that he would not be there when she opened them again.  
"I- I love you, Pi -Piper."   
  
"No! You don't say that that is to much like goodbye," Unrestrained by blinking, the tears began to fall one at a time, tracing shiny paths down her cheeks to the corner of her mouth and the edge of her chin before slipping free to land on his navy t-shirt, making tiny darker circles, "you can't leave me again, you can't leave _us_ again." He held her gaze, reflecting her own sorrow-filled expression with his own. "You have to be there Wyatt! And Chris! Remember? Watch them grow-up, teach them… you have to be there with me…" Piper rearranged herself to shake his shoulders, willing his eyes to open again, angry with him for not listening to her, for not staying awake for their sons… for her. "You better listen to me and listen good Leo Wyatt. You wake up right this instant! You wake up and you stay awake and you fight this! You fight this for your family, you hear me?"   
  
He didn't reply, his chest fell, one two three four… five… six… rose, one…two…. Three… Piper began to make the numbers last longer in the hopes that if she never got past ten his chest would rise and fall again.   
  
Now the tears weren't from not blinking, they were from watching her love die and agonising death. Again.   
  
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**Author's Note:** So, very short chapter, but the next chapter is pretty much finished too, so I should have that up at the weekend, hopefully :D   
  
**Review Thank You's To:**  
**Pixiedust-hunnie: I'll try and update soon, since you're kinda still wondering now if Leo's gonna die :D  
  
****melissa-p: I don't care about Caden either, but I do care about Leo And Piper and Chris. Such angst-potential!  
  
****ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: 5am for school?! Blimey, I get up like an hour before school at 7.30, but I can get up at 8 if i don't do my hair LOL. I'm such a lazy-bum lol ;) You awake?  
  
****psychokitty3: Breathe breathe!  
  
****Dark-Black-Shadow-Cat: Updated :)  
  
****Raya Halliwell: Lol hey :D Aaaa thanks for clearin that up with your fic :) I'm gonna check by soon to see if any're updated _hint hint_  
  
**


	7. Chapter Seven

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Seven**  
  
Phoebe was not pleased and it was written into her voice when she spoke, "Chris, why is _she_ fading?"  
  
Chris stared at Cadey -in the last few hours, whilst they had scryed for so long that their arms hurt, called the lost witch spell until their voices cracked all to no avail -she had steadily grown more and more transparent and Phoebe was finally voicing the question. It looked like more future consequences were coming their way.  
  
"I don't think _that_ story," she said, referring to the other 'forbidden' couples tale he came up with at the beach, "is gonna go over now, Chris."  
  
"What story?" Paige demanded.  
  
"There's only one reason why Cadey would be fading, isn't there?" Phoebe held Chris' gaze, understanding clearly written in her posture. Earlier in the year he had been forced to explain to them why _he_ was fading, it was going to be pretty hard to make up another lie now. It was worth a try.  
  
"The future is being changed too much by Wyatt's actions, and it's affecting -"  
  
"Don't give me that crap Christopher Halliwell!"  
Chris winced, as did Cadey. Phoebe would rarely swear in front of them in the future, let alone at them.  
"You're one of their children, aren't you? You're fading because of Leo."  
Cadey audibly gulped and stepped closer to him, wanting him to do the talking and he could guess why. Aunt Phoebe's wrath was just as formidable as their mothers. He was her big brother, ergo; he was supposed to protect her from it.  
"Future consequences, Aunt Phoebe…"  
  
"Yes or no, Chris."  
  
"Yes."  
  
Phoebe calmed somewhat now that her question was answered, and she peered around him to get a look at the now hidden Cadey.  
"How old are you, sweetie?"  
  
Sensing that the storm had been avoided, Cadey must have felt safe enough to reply because she stepped out from his shadow, "Eleven."  
  
Paige jumped up and down, clapping her hands and smiling, "We have a niece! We have a niece!"  
  
"But you won't if we don't find Leo!" Chris reiterated. Now was not the time to celebrate their newfound niece, just like he didn't like being celebrated as their newest nephew. He didn't like those memories -for every celebration there was mourning later. "Lets go over it again, what happened _exactly_? Tell us again and don't leave _anything_ out, even if it seems stupid or trivial."  
  
"Ah alright alright. We will. After coffee." Paige grumbled, already half way to the kitchen, "Don't you get tired? Jeez Chris it's three in the morning."  
Chris shook his head. No, he didn't get tired -not when his family was in danger, and despite his, his _feelings_ towards Leo if he was hurt bad, if he was dying as evidence was in Cadey, then he definitely couldn't let that man die. There was more than just his whitelighter ass at stake.  
And maybe, just maybe, in the bottom of his soul, heart, or whatever anyone wanted to call it, this Leo was starting to grow on him. He was making an effort, had made a promise to be there this time and was doing as well as could be expected for a man who technically wasn't allowed a family.  
No, there was too much at stake to get tired. He had five hours to save more people that Phoebe or Paige knew about. Adrenaline was keeping him awake and alert. He'd pay for it later.  
  
"We were wondering where you orbed out to,"  
  
"And then we heard orbs in the foyer and thought it was you,"  
  
"Turns out it wasn't,"  
  
"It was Wyatt, and he bought a friend from the future,"  
  
"A darklighter,"  
  
"He shot Leo, Piper ran over to him,"  
  
"Wyatt vanquished the darklighter, grabbed them and orbed out."  
  
"He came back like, a minute later, knocked us out with some funk potion,"  
  
"And when we woke up we were in the crystal cage and Wyatt was lounging about on the sofas,"  
  
"Telling us that you would always come back."  
  
"He said you were predictable."  
  
Chris pulled away the cup of coffee Cadey was about to drink and swirled his own, pouring a little milk into it to soften the caffeine kick he was about to get.  
"Did he say anything about where he orbed them to? Anything at all?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"I thought he was stupid?" Cadey asked, dragging to cup to her again.  
  
"He's always been conniving when it came to his plans. He's only stupid about the things we talk about. Family stuff." He floated the coffee away and poured it down the sink and spoke absently, "No coffee."  
  
Chris started to tap out a rhythm, just like when he was younger except with a musical instrument, to help him think.  
This was a problem, so far one that he didn't understand. He knew the solution he wanted, Piper and Leo safe, Wyatt locked in his own time and no more portals to surprise them… the quirks were that Wyatt wanted Piper and Leo dead, to erase him from existence (without physically killing him) along everybody else. _Tap, tap, tappar tap_. And Wyatt always got what he wanted.  
So where would Wyatt hide what he didn't want found?  
When they were little, when they played hide and seek, or orb and seek if they were feeling rebellious against their mom's strict orbing rules. Wyatt always hid in the most dangerous places, always orbed the furthest to prove he was the strongest, and always went to the most obvious places in a bizarre way.  
Where was the most obvious place now? _Tap tap_. They weren't ten and twelve anymore, weren't screwing around on a rainy day, weren't giddy from mild infraction, the defiance of no orbing unless it was necessary. This was life or death. Definite death; murders in the multiples of his own family.  
_It's not like he hasn't done it before_, one of the voices that sounded an awful lot like his Grandpa said, _why wouldn't he do it again_? Because there was nobody else to blame this time, no surprise demon attack, no out of hand warlocks, no disobedient darklighters like there was in the beginning. Of course later on there weren't either. _Tappity tap, tapper tapper tap tap_. But to kill those who hadn't even been thought about yet, let alone conceived… even Chris thought Wyatt would never fall that low.  
So where would Wyatt hide them? Back to his first, and most important question. It would be somewhere big, somewhere marked on a map so that everyone would be able to point to it and say 'Wyatt orbed there!'  
"You got a world map?"  
  
"Uh, sure? Atlas!" Paige held out a hand, summoning the atlas from wherever it was tucked away neatly to one side.  
  
"Cadey, put your finger on the map anywhere, okay? I'll do the same and then we'll see what we've got."  
  
Cadey closed her eyes and stubbed a nearly transparent finger on Egypt, near where the pyramids were located, and Chris roughly where the Great Wall of China was.  
  
"Why can't you guys just sense for them?" Phoebe enquired, helping herself to another cup of the savoury substance.  
  
"Wyatt blocked us from sensing him and mom and Leo so we can only sense them if we're close, within a few miles or so."  
  
"He does it to all his hostages." Cadey added grimly. "He thinks it makes it more interesting."  
  
Chris made a note of the places in his mind and waved, "I'll be back in five minutes."  
  
Ten seconds later he was in Egypt near the pyramids. Nothing. He orbed around the desert for a while, just in case but found nothing. Next stop, China. _Ladies and gentlemen please keep your hands and feet inside at all times, or a demon might cut them off_. That one sounded like Uncle Darryl, who wasn't really an Uncle, and at this point wasn't even a friend. Shelia was still nice to them though, despite her husband's current feelings. He'd come around in about… two years? Be a firm family friend in three.  
Once more he sensed no Piper, Leo or even Wyatt. Back to base camp then.  
"Wanna take another guess?"  
  
Cadey screwed her eyes shut, and jabbed her finger at Mount Snowdon in the United Kingdom. Wales, to be precise. His landed at Easter Island.  
He waved again, and with a cheeky grin at Paige who was yawning widely, "See you soon!"  
Easter Island was a bust; he knew that as soon as he became corporal again. Mount Snowdon it was, and when he arrived there he felt it. Or rather, he felt _them_.  
"Mom? Leo?" They were nearby, he could feel that, so he concentrated on that and orbed out again.  
"Mom?" Chris almost ran to her right then, he stood in the entrance to a small cave; his mom bent over… Leo. "Oh god, mom… oh man, come on. We gotta get you home."  
  
"He's _dead_ Chris! It doesn't matter!"  
  
"He's been dead since you met him, mom. We'll fix this, _I'll_ fix this." He placed a gentle arm around her shoulders and placed a hand on Leo's. This was going to be a tight fit, but luckily the power-swapping spell already existed in this time.  
He _would_ fix this. He was not going to go to a future with so many people missing. He wanted the _perfect_ future, and that couldn't exist if half his siblings were never conceived and Wyatt was still evil. Although, if he didn't stop Wyatt soon, he, Chris, wouldn't exist anyway and Wyatt would grow up without a mother and siblings. The future might even be worse that way… and that Chris couldn't bear thinking about.  
He _would_ fix this. Leo _would_ survive; he _would_ have the chance to fulfil his promise.  
  
Chris _wanted_ a father.  
  
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**Author's Note:**  
  
**Review Thank You's To:**  
**melissa-p: Would I let Leo die?! Well... okay... maybe, so I guess I can't offer an reassurances :O  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: Yeah, it was appallingly short, thankfully this one came out a little longer :)  
  
****ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: whoah! that is horribly early! Heheee this one isn't much happier though  
  
**


	8. Chapter Eight

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Eight**  
  
Chris didn't waste a second. Upon re-materialising he yelled for Paige to get her butt into the living room. She and Phoebe orbed to him in record time, _maybe he should sound extremely panicked more often_? There was his Uncle Jason's voice. This was what having an absentee father and insane brother had done to him, given him his Uncles voices in his head, and usually when they were in a sarcastic mood too.  
"Say the power swapping spell on Leo."  
  
"Why me?"  
  
"You're not pregnant and you're not an Empath? Come on! There's not much time!"  
  
"I second that…" Caden said, having chosen to walk from the kitchen. He could hardly see her at all. She was more of an outline than a person.  
  
"Alright alright," Paige took Leo's free hand, since Piper still hadn't released her white-knuckled grip on the one she held,  
"_What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine  
Let our powers cross the line  
I offer up this gift to share  
Switch our powers through the air._ Now what?"  
  
"His trigger's love." Piper's voice cracked, and Chris didn't bother stopping his urge to hug her, instead he embraced her as tightly as he dared. Cadey knelt next to him, watching anxiously as Phoebe pulled out the offending arrow and threw it across the room. Paige held her hands over the wound, eyes closed as she searched for her love, and therefore the trigger. Seconds passed and Piper's sobs got louder with each passing proverbial _tick tock_ of the clock.  
  
"Come on Paige," Phoebe encouraged, "you can do it, just focus on love and it'll happen…"  
  
Paige gritted her teeth, "I'm trying, just, ssssh a minute already."  
  
Precious more seconds, grains of sand slipping away like the blood that was seeping from the black-stained wound until, when Chris thought he would die from holding the same breath for way too long, a golden glow lit up Paige's palms.  
  
Chris sucked in long drag of fresh air as the wound cleansed and eventually closed, leaving one very much alive (or, as it would be, dead, in a living, whitelighter kind of way) Leo and one very much opaque Caden to look gratefully at Paige, who was looking very pleased with herself, if the huge grin on her face was anything to go by. "I did it!" Phoebe congratulated her little sister with a giant smile, but Piper was a little preoccupied.  
  
"LEO!" Piper smacked Leo on the side of his head, despite his position on still laying on the floor, "Don't do that!"  
  
"I -wha- ah- I…" he trailed off, propping himself up on his elbows and looking helpless. Piper kissed him.  
  
"Oh, oh no, oh, so wrong!" Chris cringed, seeing his parent's make out like love-struck teenagers was definitely not right, and if the disgusted expression Cadey was giving them was any indication she was thinking along the same lines. Unfortunately, they must've reminded Phoebe and Paige about their latest relative.  
  
"Uh, Piper? Leo?" Phoebe prodded the two, "Break it up guys, talk now kiss later. Chris and Cadey have something they need to share."  
  
Cadey jumped to her feet, "No we don't!"  
  
"Yes you do!"  
  
"Na-uh!"  
  
"Excuse me? _What_ is going on here?"  
  
"Cadey's your daughter! From like, the future. Again."  
Chris made a mental note to kill Paige.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Hi."  
  
"How many kids do we _have_ exactly?"  
  
"Oh oh! Do Phoebe and me have kids too?"  
  
Chris pushed down the feelings and memories and gave them individualised exasperated looks; "You've known me for how long? You haven't asked these questions before and either way they are not going to get answers! Now, problem at hand -Wyatt _wants to kill you_! Both of you apparently!"  
  
Cadey pulled him down to her level and whispered, "Ryan must be annoying him real bad."  
  
"_Who's Ryan?_" Next mental note -kill Cadey. Or at least tickle her until she screams.  
  
"Look, mom, Leo, let's just sort out Wyatt and then we'll sort out all this, okay? Where's little Wyatt anyway?"  
  
Piper cast her eyes to the ceiling, "Asleep, like most people in San Fransisco. It's not even six yet and we've been up since yesterday."  
  
"Oh, right," Chris gave them a sheepish look, "Now, Big Wyatt: he'll be here in two hours, we have to be ready."  
  
-----------------------  
  
**Author's Note:** I would've updated quicker... but lotta work. Sixth Form would be great if i wasn't working 16 hours a week on top of that ;) YAY! Lots of reviews! That's the way uh huh uh huh I like it, uh huh uh huh!  
  
**Review Thank You's To:**  
**psychokitty3: Like i'd kill Leo this early on :D  
  
****melissa-p: No fair! I wanna see season 7! Course I wanna see season 6 as well... have only got up to the alternate realities ones so far :P I wanna get American cable!!!  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: heheee that's my favourite line too :D  
  
****Drewfuller4eva: Hay it's a great reason, there'll be more description on that kinda thing later :D  
  
****Raya Halliwell: Crikey you're jumpin' ahead a bit, there's not been nearly enough angst yet!  
  
****rhia: why thank you muchly, and i'll try  
  
****Sassylassy: Six different kinds? I'm proud and slightly worried! Calm down! O I'll certainly join you in your Chris/Piper/Leo bonding moments club! It's a fab club!! More people should join!! ;)  
I sure hope this doesn't kill you! Then you wouldn't be able to read it 'til the end, and i've got lots planned!  
  
****ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: Not quite as soon as I'd wanted to have it done by....  
  
****Pruedence.Halliwell: Eee ta very much :) It always makes me feel a little better when people say that, that i'm not completely off base with the characters :S  
Aaaah yes the Random Siblings and Family Members.... there's actually a plan for 'em which (according to my beloved notebook) will be coming up later, with names, personalities, explanations, ages.... unfortunately you're probably gonna be crazy 'til then.... in fact this chapter probably didn't help ;)  
  
**


	9. Chapter Nine

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Nine**  
  
Piper cast another sideways glance at the clock, for the fifth time that minute by his count. He loved the way her hair cascaded down her back, shiny, perfect, beautiful, he wanted to stroke it again like he used to but held back. Despite their kiss earlier, Leo still wasn't sure where they stood on the whole 'relationship' ground… even though they were married. Even though the divorce papers Piper was sorting out hadn't come through yet. Even though Piper had taken off her ring. Even though he kept his with him always.  
Theirs was not a simple matter, never had been never would be.  
  
Mesmerised by each and every little detail, he did not notice when she turned away from the clock, returning her own eyes to gaze at him. Or rather, he realised he now had a different view of her but that didn't register on a conscious level worthy of response. Eyes of the deepest brown, ones he was captivated by on first sight, cheeks, that mouth he loved to kiss, softly pink lips that felt so good against his. He missed her, hated that his Elder responsibilities kept him away, that they meant he was never supposed to be with his family, instead to be with half the world.  
"Piper -"  
  
"Leo -"  
  
Unawares of the other's thoughts, both spoke at the same time, both broke off at the same time, and both were interrupted a few seconds later by the loud commotion of Paige, Phoebe and little Wyatt, Chris and Cadey arriving in the attic for the chiming of the first eight o'clock of the day.  
  
Chris took charge immediately, pacing the space in front of the Triquetra bearing wall, "Everybody got their spells and potions?"  
  
After an affirmation from everyone present, except Wyatt, Chris went over the plan again. "When Wyatt comes through again he'll be shocked to see everyone _for about two seconds_. That's when we've got our window of opportunity. Cadey: you've got the potion that's gonna throw up smoke -he'll expect more and that'll give us time to read the spell that binds his powers to his time only to make him think twice about coming back here. Leo, you and me are gonna just push him through the portal -he'll be expecting magic and that'll surprise him again. Mom, Paige, Phoebe: we'll need to power of three spell to close the portal and stop all portals to this time for awhile, but bindings like that don't last long, just like his won't."  
  
"Can't we just re-cast them?"  
  
Chris shook his head, "No, every time they're reapplied they get weaker and last for shorter and shorter amounts of time… think of it like taping on a video cassette. Eventually the magnetic tape just gets worn too thin and it won't work anymore."  
  
"Sir yes sir!" Paige saluted with a grin, probably trying to lighten the mood. Leo appreciated the attempt, but it didn't work -there wasn't anyway to alleviate the pain this confrontation was going to cause them, even if Piper and he had disowned this future version of Wyatt, the fear of what could be was still there. What they _would not_ let be. Not this time. Chris would get his perfect future.  
But still… no boy should have to fight his brother in hopes of saving himself, his mother, his father and, apparently, at least another brother and sister.  
Cadey. She stood as close as possible to Chris whilst he paced. According to Phoebe she was eleven. According to Piper, with what she learnt from Victor, in the future they were going to prevent Piper died when Chris was fourteen… Chris was what? Twenty? Twenty-one? That would make Cadey _five_ or maybe _six_ when Piper died.  
Not this time. Chris would get his perfect future.  
  
A distant chime from downstairs broke the quiet chatting between the sisters.  
  
It was to begin.  
  
The battle that would decide the future, and who would be alive to see it.  
  
-----------------------  
  
**Author's Note:** 'Kay, sortin out my hours... slowly but surely! The next chapter was where I was gonna end it, but don't worry! I got struck with inspiration, have up to seventeen planned so far now :D  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Prudence Halliwell: Hmmm I didn't think of that :O Okay... let's explain away quick... uuuuh..... (many minutes (literally) later)... they didn't think of that ;) (i.e: i didn't lol!)  
  
****melissa-p: Nope! But i'm a late comer to Charmed -i only watched my first episode at the beginning of the summer hols :O So i've been watching the re-runs. Just had a S6 ep with like, NO CHRIS! I was outraged lol! Something about the sword in the stone....  
And SSSSSSSSSSSH! No S7 spoilers :P Mean! Even if that's very good... :P Mean!  
  
****Raya Halliwell:  
  
****Love Angel 1705: :D :D Poor Chris, me hitting him on the nose :O LOL :D  
  
****Queen of the Elven City x2: heheheheeee this is freaky! You keep pickin' my favourite lines!  
Whose name do you love? :S**

**********************ilovedrew88: It was put as soon as I could write it :D Really short though :( Next chapter should be up sooner to make up for it!  
  
****charmedsisters x2: Haya! Glad you like :D Hope you follow with it :)**


	10. Chapter Ten

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D  
  
**Note:** One instance for Very Bad Language and one of Bad Language.

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Ten**  
  
Wyatt stepped through the time portal for the third time in less than two days and took in the attic before him. Something wasn't right about it. There were no sounds from anywhere in the house -no Piper tinkering in the kitchen, no baby _him_ screaming or chattering to whoever would listen.  
That was when they appeared, from every crevice and shadow. It was a bit like a bizarre surprise party. Having not expected this, Wyatt froze while processing this new turn of events.  
  
"Now!"  
  
Caden flung a glass vial at his feet, and expecting fire to engulf him he stepped back. Attempted vanquishes were so annoying.  
Instead, clouds of dense smoke rose up, fogging up the air. Voices filled the room, though he couldn't hear whereabouts, but it was Christopher and Caden, he was sure of that, and definitely the sisters.  
He waved a hand, meaning to send the couch he saw before the smoke came, flying through the air -it would catch someone at least, but nothing happened. The smoke cleared a path where his arm wafted it away, but nothing else.  
"WHAT DID YOU DO?" he roared, he held out a hand to make a fireball, an energy ball, _anything_ and got… _nothing_.  
"CHRISTOPHER! You _insolent_ little son of a bitch!"  
This was what not wanting to kill him had come to, Chris binding his powers? He shouldn't have delayed earlier. He should have just killed Piper out right the first time, not played around with Chris' emotions.  
  
Two figures barrelled through the smoke and into him shoulders first. A physical attack? Was this what his little brother was throwing at him? He would've laughed but it was working and he was too busy mentally cursing his magic expectations. He'd have to settle for voicing Chris' worst thoughts.  
"This won't bring back Ben and Bren, you know that?"  
  
"Fuck off, Wyatt."  
No further words were exchanged between the brothers, and Wyatt felt the now familiar sensation of travelling through time.  
  
He'd lost this time, but he'd finish what he started.  
He always did.  
  
-  
  
Leo sat next to Chris, who had sunk to the floor as soon as the action, if that was what it could be called, and put a hand on her shoulder.  
"You alright buddy?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah I'm good."  
  
"Then why do you look like that? You did just save our lives, and your own." But Leo knew, he knew when future Wyatt spoke earlier what it was, when Chris flinched almost unnoticeably, he knew. "It's about Ben and Bren, isn't it?"  
  
"Leo, don't ask questions you're not allowed to know the answers too." Chris' tone was devoid of everything: pain, anger… he was hurting.  
  
"Who are Ben and Bren?"  
  
"Leo -"  
  
"Who are Ben and Bren?"  
  
"Will you just -"  
  
"Who are Ben and Bren, Chris? They must be important if all Wyatt has to do is mention that they can't be brought back!"  
Cadey knelt down in front of Leo, blocking off his view of Chris. "Ben and Brennan, they were our brothers, twins."  
  
"Were?"  
  
"Wyatt, he killed them a few years ago, to spite Perry."  
  
"Caden _stop talking_. Right now."  
  
"No Chris! If he wants to know then I'll tell him, then he can get it right this time, with all of us."  
  
Leo was shaking his head, and Piper leaned against him, unable to stand up any longer. They had gained and lost two sons in the space of one sentence.  
"And Ryan? Who's he?"  
  
"Our other brother -he's alive last I checked."  
  
"Caden stop talking. As in sssh!"  
  
Cadey turned around to glare at her older brother, "Now they know how important it is to stop whatever wants to turn baby Wy! Kinda like, extra incentive. 'sides…. Cause of all this time travel and stuff… wasn't Wyatt wrong anyway?"  
  
Piper pushed her hair behind her ears, "What do you mean?"  
  
Phoebe spoke first, answering for Cadey as she must've realised what train of thought the younger time-traveller was thinking along, "The future hasn't happened yet, when we've stopped whatever turns Wyatt he won't kill them, so they won't die."  
  
"So when you go to the future… they will never have died."  
  
Chris nodded and Leo smiled as his face visibly brightened with the knowledge -in all his plans and efforts to stop Wyatt turning, he forgot about the effects on everything else. Got overwhelmed. Leo had to make sure he could still see the good he was capable of, of saving his brothers.  
_His_ sons. How many children would he and Piper have, if they got back together for good? The same as in Chris' future? Wyatt, Chris, Ben, Brennan, Ryan? And a daughter too? Caden? If they had a daughter, why wasn't she called Melinda Prudence? How old were they all?  
So many questions… Leo knew Piper was thinking them too. He reached over, intending to get her attention, but once again the jingle of the Elders rang down.  
  
"I can't believe it took them _this_ long to call you away." Chris remarked, rolling his eyes in, what Leo was beginning to realised, was a disappointed manner.  
Disappointed at who?  
  
"Go." Piper said resignedly.  
She was too used to this, as was Chris. How could he give his son the perfect future he wanted, _deserved_, if he was never around?  
Leo got up and walked the few paces to where Piper still sat, her hand over Chris' and put one hand over theirs and the other over the slightly protruding abdomen, where baby Chris grew.  
  
"No. They can wait a few minutes."  
  
Chris' eyes widened comically, "Wh-what?"  
  
"The Elders can wait a minute, family comes first, right buddy?"  
  
The jingle came again, more persistent than before.  
  
"If any of you need me, just call and I'll be down before you can say it… three times." He gave Paige a knowing look, if he said twice he would always loose since the sisters had a habit of calling twice without pause for breath or orb, "I'll be back as soon as I can."  
He gave Piper a kiss on the cheek -where they were relationship wise still wasn't clear -ruffled Chris' hair, stroked Wyatt's hair and got stuck on Caden. They'd barely exchanged ten words. He pulled on her ponytail (or what was left of it) and received a small smile. Definitely worth it.  
He orbed out with one of his own.  
  
-----------------------  
  
**Author's Note:** Soooo close to sorting out my hours! So close! Lol, anyway, longer and quicker update to make up for the two short ones :D Don't ever say I'm not nice :D  
Anyway, bit anti-climatic, but I needed it to come across like that. Decided to answer a few questions on relatives, as you saw. I was in a really nice mood for this, wasn't I? :D  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**

**Dark-Black-Shadow-Cat: :D Thank you :D I'll try :D  
  
****psychokitty3: Who can turn down a polite psychopathic kitty?! Not me!  
  
****melissa-p: lmao "a certain someone was coming back" gave me giggles :D Aww tell Jeannie to go bug some other state for the night!  
Hmmm the episode on this week as okay. Chris was in it this time! A manticore baby. Lovely. Very sweet kid, save for the forked tongue :S Next week has got me excited though! It's called "Chris-Crossed" -Chris is in the TITLE!  
  
****Pruedence.Halliwell: There ya go, a small part explained! :D  
  
****kk241289: Wooo i'm a hooker! Oooo... that sooo came out wrong! I got it out as soon as possible.... mainly cause holding your breath for days at a time canNOT be good!!  
  
****Raya Halliwell: You want a cushion? To pad that edge, cause you were sitting on it for a few days... your butt has gotta be hurting!  
  
****ilovedrew88: w00t! 'course they were gonna defeat Wyatt... not NEARLY enough has happened to Chris yet!  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: Chris is a great name! It's one of favourites actually, and Cadey... :D Bit longer this time to make up for the shortness :)  
  
****charmedsisters: i'm sowwey! Look though! No cliffie this time :) Forgive me?**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D   
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Eleven**   
  
Wyatt tightened his hold around Jenna's throat, feeling it forcefully moulded beneath his grasp. Unlike with Christopher in the Past, he liked to get information out of his prisoners by his own hand, and not his magical one -that didn't mean he wasn't going to deny his subordinates the chance to _have their fun_; he just ruled that a lot of the time, the traditional, old-fashioned methods of mortals were often the best, or at least the most interesting. And his rules _were_ followed.  
"I'll ask you _again_, where did you learn of my plans?"  
  
He loosened his grip ever so slightly, giving her a chance to answer. Instead of the information he wanted, he got a stony glare.  
Of course, sometimes magic was interesting too.  
Especially when telepathy was a power one possessed. He still remembered the witch he stole it from, the way she screamed when he killed her… it was a quick kill. Short. He only kept her alive long enough to make her insane, bombarding her with voices she could no longer stop and tearing through the intricacies of her mind leaving it ripped and frayed. That was a very good day.  
  
Wyatt fingered a lock of her wavy reddish-brown hair, feeling for her mind with his own. He found it, a pool of light that became clearer as he focused, looked more like a spool of many threads, in many different colours and of varying thickness. He started to pull it apart, literally. Just tugging on the edges at first, it was enough for her to bite into her lip, urgently trying to stop the scream that was undoubtedly pulling in her throat.  
"Just tell me what I want to know and I'll make it stop." He whispered, twirling the strands of hair around his fingers, "I can make all this pain go away," he stopped his assault for a few seconds, "Or I can make it worse, it's your choice Jenna." Starting up the tearing again he stepped it up, kept wrenching a little harder every few seconds, until she bit through her lip and blood trickled down her chin.  
"What will it be, Jenna? _Where_ did you learn of my plans?"  
He released his grip on her throat entirely, letting her fall against the chains that held her against the wall.  
"Ung -you -"  
  
"Spit it out woman!"  
  
"Never!"   
  
Wyatt backhanded her across the face, hearing a satisfying _thump_ when her head connected with the wall. "You know, if you won't tell me willingly I can always just, find out for myself. It's in that brain of yours somewhere…" he tugged at a few of the outermost threads, read the information idly whilst listening to her pitiful screams.  
She had hidden it well.  
  
One minute turned into five, five into ten… Wyatt was getting bored; he stopped plucking single threads and grabbed several at a time… Jenna probably would have cried louder but her voice was hoarse from the constant screaming.  
She merely muttered incoherently now.  
  
_There_. He had it.  
Wyatt laughed, "So Ryan finally figured out the bindings I made for all them? That's it? Shame you don't know anything else, Jenna. You're of no more use to me now."  
Her neck snapped with a loud _crack_.  
She fell limp in the chains and her head lolled forward.  
"Elekna!"  
  
"Yes, Lord Wyatt?"   
  
"Get rid of _that_."  
Wyatt didn't wait for a reply and blinked out -it would be done or Elekna would die. It wasn't difficult.   
  
Right now he had to come up with a new plan to finish of his brother once and for all, though since going directly after Piper hadn't worked, he would have to try a different approach, and hopefully his mother would be among the collateral damage -thus finishing off Ryan and Caden as well.  
The twist was… they now had all their powers.  
  
Wyatt shook his head, it was going to be a lot harder to destroy them now, although, a new thought came to him that he never thought of before -they all disliked using them. Or not disliked, as much as feared.  
_Thanks dad_. Another thing his father had bestowed upon him as the _only_ child twice-blessed -obviously when any other sibling displayed powers they were jealous or turning evil.  
He smirked; Leo never was able to see beyond the end of his nose.  
  
Chris was always the worst, or best, when it came to his powers… and if he was in the past he wouldn't want to jeopardize the future outside of his 'quest' ergo, Chris wouldn't want their parents to know that all their children were 'twice-blessed', especially since they never even found out in the future.   
  
Maybe… Chris' reluctance would be his undoing. However, with Caden in the past as well, it would complicate matters. She was younger, wouldn't understand all of the details of time-travel, wasn't under Leo's thumb for as long, and she would not be as with strained when it came to her powers. On the other hand… she _was younger_, would be much easier to manipulate, even 'turn' as his brothers viewed it.   
  
The smirk grew and Wyatt's coal filled eyes gleamed. By now Chris would have set up the prevention spell, just as he had, but it would wear off in a few weeks.  
And in a few weeks, Chris would die, but not by his hand. He still couldn't, _wouldn't_ kill Christopher.  
He would send Kalister.  
  
His best assassin.   
  
-----------------------   
  
**Author's Note:** Hmmm, I'm quite oddly fond on this chapter, and I'm not sure why. I enjoy writing Wyatt's thoughts though, so I think that's it. I like trying to make him 3D and it's SO hard! Is it even working?!  
Meh, anyway a note on the next update.... it will be at the weekend! Because it's already written, I just need to check though it... i did that because it's my birthday on Tuesday (SEVENTEEN!) and on Wednesday I go away for a school art trip! to NEW YORK! I'll be back after four days though :D So that's why you'll be getting a very quick update :D See... you lub me really :D   
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Queen of the Elven City: Heheee.... no Leo in this one... or Chris... or Piper :S  
  
****Raya Halliwell: Yup butt-pads rock. I have one from all the times i was waiting for Cassia to update a LoTR fic...  
  
****kk241289: Breathing is very under-rated!  
  
****Pruedence.Halliwell: Lollums your enthusiasm makes me very happy! (  
****melissa-p: Aaah well I guess we can go easy on ol' Jeannie then. If she'd have knocked out your power and therefore taken away Charmed... now THAT is UNforgivable!  
OMG! Chris-Crossed is great! I was like, glued to the screen the ENTIRE time! Anyone who came near the remote or tv got a Death Glare :D It's Witchstock on Monday. Sounds boring though, so Chris better make a lovely appearance!  
  
****ilovedrew88: Hay if you're happy i'm happy! Yeah.... i am quite mean to Chris along the family lines but that's only 'cause i love him!  
  
****charmedsisters: I pwromise :) _counts P&L's kids on her private copy of all the Charmed Kids)_ well you would be.... ....still waiting :D I'm VERY mean. I've got this great list and all the little powers everybody has -even the ones not really mentioned yet... oh it's such fun!  
  
**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D   
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Twelve**   
  
Cadey swung her feet back and forth, kicking the kitchen island idly. It'd been nearly two days since they sent Wyatt back in time, or forward? Too complicated. Leo came back in time for dinner and only left that morning when the Elder's incessant chiming began to get on _everyone's_ nerves. And since Chris refused to let her actively take part in 'Operation: Stop and Fix' there was nothing she could do, hence why she was now sitting in the kitchen watching her mo- Piper, bake cookies. So far there were four batches already cooled, or in the process of cooling to one side, another set were in the oven, and now she was preparing to start a new batch.  
"So, what's your favourite flavour?"  
  
Caden froze mid-swing. After mom died no one made cookies any more. She couldn't remember what her favourite flavour was.  
"Uh, what are you making?"  
  
"Well I was going to make your favourite, I've already made chocolate chip for your Aunts, Leo and Wyatt and oatmeal for Chris and me, so what do you like?"  
  
"Uh, oatmeal's good."   
  
"Good? Honey if they're only good they can't be your favourite!"   
  
"Uh, oatmeal's great! Fab! Love them… to, uh, bits?" Without meaning to, it came out more like a question than a confident statement. However many times she tried to tell herself that this wasn't her mother, wasn't the mom who tucked her in at night and chased away the nightmares, who sang to her and watched cartoons with her, it was getting increasingly difficult to keep it up… it was getting increasingly difficult to lie. Cadey shrunk away from Piper's raised eyebrows and jumped off the stool. "I've, um… I've gotta go… out! See you!"   
  
Piper grabbed her mid-orb, forcing her to stop and re-from on the spot.  
"Oh no you don't missy! It's raining outside and we haven't gone to get you any more clothes yet. Now, you just sit yourself right back down and tell me what your favourite cookie is."   
  
"So? A bit of rain won't kill me."  
A demon could though, _just like one killed you_.   
  
"No, no excuses."   
  
_Stop it!_ Cadey remained silent, picking up the swish kick rhythm again. There were nowhere near enough distractions in the house in this time, how was she supposed to get mo-Piper onto another subject? She didn't want to do this, talking with her was too difficult.  
"Can I go play with Wyatt?"  
  
"He's napping at the moment, and don't try to change the subject."   
  
Stop it!  
"Can I go help Chris?"   
  
"Definitely not. How hard is it to tell me what your favourite cookie is?"   
  
"Harder than you think! Jeez! I'm going out!" The last thing she saw before orbing was her mother's disappointed face.   
  
-   
  
"CADEN! GET BACK HERE!" Chris jumped at the yell, and he was in the attic. What did she do? Dreading the answer he pocketed his notes and orbed down to Wyatt's room, making a pit stop to pick him up, and then down to the source of the noise.   
  
Expecting to find his mom raging and a sheepish Cadey standing over something ripped, stained or broken it was a _bit_ of a surprise when he found her sitting dejectedly in the kitchen, a mixing bowl forgotten to one side, her head in her hands.  
"Mom? What's wrong?" Setting Wyatt into his playpen with a few toys he then hurried over to where she still hadn't moved. "Mom?"  
Now, see, this was worrying: his mom wasn't saying a word, his sister was nowhere to be seen and there were no broken household items.  
  
Her voice quiet and filled with sadness finally spoke, "Why won't she tell me what her favourite cookies are?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"I was making cookies, and Caden wouldn't tell me! She left and it's raining and she's a little girl!" Tears fell down her face and Chris didn't need to be an empath to know why -everything from the past few days was catching up all at once and overwhelming her.   
  
"Aw, mom…" Chris drew her into a tight embrace, "You've gotta understand, in our future Cadey hasn't seen you since she was five -"   
  
"Because I died."   
  
"Yeah, and now you're here asking about cookies? She's scared that when we go back you won't be there. I mean, come on? Remember what I was like when I first came here?"   
  
"The sarcastic smartass that only turned up to send us on demon hunts? That's kinda hard to forget sweetie."   
  
"Yeah, well it's taken me this long to even be able to _talk_ to you, mom."   
  
"What, Chris are you telling me you can't, you're still -that you're -"   
  
"Mom, this isn't your fault, okay? It's just us; we've been on our own for a while. It's… weird suddenly having to answer to a mom and aunts again."   
  
"What about your father?"   
  
"_Mom_." This was so not how the conversation was supposed to be going, he was telling her way too much. And now they were getting on to Leo? Sure they were getting better, he didn't want to pound his face in incessantly anymore, and Leo was actually making an effort, but there were twenty-two years of things to make up for. "If you want to get to know Cadey, just take it slow. Ask about the weather."   
  
Piper pulled to look him in the eye, "And how do I get to know you?"   
  
"Just, be you. And don't go too fast either." He smiled and pecked her on the cheek, "I'll go find her."   
  
-   
  
"You know Pip, if you want to run away and not be found you've _got_ to stop running to the same place."  
Chris noted the unrelenting rain and near-black tumultuous sky and pulled her up on her feet.  
"Stop it Cadey."  
  
"It's not that easy!" A wave crashed into the rocks, drenching them completely.   
  
"You've got to _calm down_. Our powers are tied into our emotions!"   
  
"_Mom_ was asking me about cookies! Mom's dead!" Cadey was screaming, the wind carrying her voice as it careened through San Fransisco. "I don't _remember_!"   
  
Chris wiped hair from his eyes and thought back over their last few words. Didn't remember? What?  
"What don't you remember?"  
  
"My favourite cookies! I don't remember and I want to and it don't make any sense 'cause she's dead but she was talking and, and it doesn't make any sense! It doesn't!"   
  
Ah. At least it all made sense now… the lack of chatter, the withdrawal, the _definitely_ volatile emotions wreaking havoc on the weather… "Aw man, Pippa, I know it's weird, it's weird for me too -seeing mom again, having Leo actually _talk_ to me, seeing our _big bro_ as a toddler?  
"You just gotta, I dunno, enjoy having mom, and who knows? If we can stop Wyatt from turning that might save mom as well."  
  
"Then she'll be there when we go back?"   
  
"She'll be there when we go back."  
The winds started to die down, the waves relaxing. Caden sneezed and shivered. Chris knew how she felt -it wasn't exactly _warm_ by the sea front.  
"What d'ya say we go home? Experiment with cookies and stuff."  
  
"What about Operation: Stop and Fix?"   
  
"A few hours won't make too much of a difference." Chris took them behind an outcropping of rocks to cover their view, and added, "Or I hope it won't."   
  
-----------------------   
  
**Author's Note:** Was it something I said? :( My confidence is all shaken up and I'm getting self-conscious again :( Next update might be a week or so -i'm going away on wednesday and i won't have time to write :(  
but... meeeep... do people still like the story?  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**melissa-p: Would I kill Chris? Hmmmmm.... good question...  
  
****ilovedrew88: Jenna was a member of the Resistance... I don't know if she was anybody to the family... depends how much angst i want to work into later chapters ;) That's a good point about Chris... even Wyatt loves him!  
  
**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D   
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Thirteen**   
  
"And the duo return." Paige observed as they re-appeared in the kitchen doorway and Wyatt decided to hurl another spoonful of peas at her. Piper's head re-appeared from a cupboard, arms full of ingredients to be put away.   
  
"When did you get back?" Chris asked,   
  
Piper answered for her youngest sister, "About a minute after you left. So I figure I can make cookies another time, maybe tomorrow after we get you some. More. Clothes. OFF THE CARPET! Now!"  
Chris and Caden jumped into the kitchen completely, now standing (safely) on the tiled floor.  
Chris mentally hit himself on the head. How could he forget that his mom hated it when they stood on the carpet with wet clothes? He wondered if she would do the towel _thing_ now that he was twenty-two… there was no way Cadey could escape it, but he just might.  
Sure enough, Piper was demanding Paige orb them towels within seconds of registering their soaking clothes and hair, in fact, if they were to walk Chris was certain their sneakers would make the annoying _squish squelch squish squelch_ that he could remember from his childhood and playing out in the rain with Ryan.  
Piper threw one towel around Cadey, another over her head and proceeded to rub furiously, muttering about no child of hers catching their deaths of a cold because of a freak rainstorm.  
This was his chance to get away… to escape the embarrassment that Cadey was currently trying half-heartedly to resist.  
"Oh no you don't mister, you stay put," Piper made sure Cadey was well and truly wrapped in the towel before taking the one from her head and moving on to Chris and giving him the third towel. At least she let him pull it around himself all on his own, but she wouldn't… wouldn't dream of…   
  
She would, and Paige's laughter would haunt him for the rest of his days.  
"_Mom_!"  
If he'd hoped that would dissuade her, he was sorely mistaken. Not only did it cause Paige to laugh harder and have to hold onto the island and Wyatt's highchair for support, it caused Piper to start as well.  
It probably didn't help that instead of coming out as angry, it came out as a pleading whine.   
  
Piper finished with a satisfied smile, "There! See that wasn't too hard was it?"   
  
"Mom I can dry my own hair. I'm a big boy now!"   
  
"Actually," Cadey poked him on the arm, "You're not 'cause you're not even born yet. See." She pointed to their mom's stomach.   
  
Chris rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair, "Smartass."   
  
She responded by sticking out her tongue.   
  
The front door shutting and Phoebe's voice ringing through the house cut off any further exchanges, "Hey guys, sorry I'm late but that storm was just so _whoah_ I stopped for a while: didn't want to get blown into another lane, y'know?" She dropped her things onto the nearest kitchen counter, "Lucky it blew over so fast huh?"   
  
Piper stopped mid-grin and faltered, checking the evening sky through the window -the clouds were all but gone, leaving the rapidly darkening sky clear save for the occasional patch left behind.  
"Hm, almost like _magic_, that."   
  
Chris froze. Oh that was not good. She could not guess that it was Cadey, not even in _their_ future did she know about that power… of course they didn't really either, they _suspected_ and covered all incidences up, until after… That Day.   
  
"Would either of you know anything about that?"   
  
"No!"   
  
"Na-uh, nothin'."   
  
They replied. Quickly. Too quickly? Piper's eyebrows went to meet her hairline again. Definitely too fast on the draw. Paige and Phoebe looked on, fascinated.   
  
"Is there something you want to tell me?"   
  
Time to draw out the old reliable excuse, "Mom it's future consequences, you know that. You already know way too much already."   
  
"Don't give me that, was that storm caused by magic?"   
  
Chris rolled his eyes for what felt like the umpteenth time in the last hour. He couldn't exactly say, 'Yeah mom, your youngest kid from the future that might not happen now that I've possibly permanently screwed up you and Leo anyway, well part of her powers influence weather and things like that we think it's something to do with when you were a Goddess and it's passed on to girls. Anyway she was upset and confused so the weather showed it, you know that on That Day a thunderstorm stretched for over a hundred miles and the sea was so rough the boats in the ports got thrown inland'? Oh yeah, that would go over _really_ well. While he was at it he might as well explain all of Cadey's powers _as well as_ all of his -that would go over great as well 'Oh mom? I forgot to mention that your eldest son, Wyatt? He binds all of your other children's powers so they won't be a threat, but he kills two of them anyway. By the way, now that Ryan and the Resistance found a way to unbind them, when I get really mad or really upset the ground will quake. You know after… That Day, I opened up a over two-hundred and fifty feet chasm outside of San Fransisco?'  
All that he said aloud was,  
"I don't think so, not by either of us anyway."   
  
"R_iii_ght." Phoebe was giving Cadey one of her '_I think I'm feeling what you're feeling_' gaze, "Look, well sorry I was late, you can go shopping now."   
  
Cadey took a step backwards, onto the carpet, and was pulled forward again just as quickly by their mom, "Huh?"   
  
"I'll find you a top and, I've probably got a skirt that will fit you for now if we get a belt…" Paige hurried off muttering to herself, casting a wide grin their way.   
  
Cadey gave the women a horrified stare, "A _skirt_?"   
  
"Just until we get you some more clothes at the mall, a couple of pairs of jeans, sweatshirts, t-shirts."   
  
"I don't need any clothes!"   
  
"Honey, the ones you have on are soaked, what are you going to sleep in?" Piper asked, nabbing a comb from Phoebe to run through Caden's hair.  
Caden played with the hem of her once _light_ blue, now dark _grey_ t-shirt. Chris knew what she was intending to sleep in: exactly what she had on, but his mom wouldn't understand. Clothing stores were still accessible to everyone here in this time.   
  
Paige returned, clothes in hand and smiles brightly in place as she handed them over to a disturbed Caden who promptly got shooed away by Piper to put them on. Once said terrified child was away, Piper cornered Chris.  
"And _you_ are in _dire_ need of a haircut."   
  
"My hair's fine!" Chris defended, pushing part of his fringe out of the way.   
  
"Oh, sweetie, when your fringe is past your eyebrows, then you need a haircut. Come with us, it'll just be a trim. I promise."   
  
How could her say no to her? "Fine. A trim, all right? I _like_ my hair as it is, mom."   
  
Orbs filled the space behind Piper. "What's wrong with his hair?"   
  
"Leo!" Piper span around and kissed him, causing Chris to raise his eyebrows. For a couple that were intending to get divorced, they were kissing for an awfully long time… they were _kissing_, and doing it a _lot_. Maybe things weren't as messed up as he thought they were? "We're about to go out… Chris needs a haircut and Cadey needs some spare clothes."   
  
Chris decided to take a plunge. Since Leo was making an effort, he might as well test how far it went. For _bonding_ and stuff. "Yeah, you want to come?"   
  
"Do you _want_ me to come?"   
  
He shrugged, "Why not? Might be good."   
  
-----------------------   
  
**Author's Note:** Eeeep! I'm SO sorry! I had like, major jetlag :S NY is a long way away from the Midlands :lol:  
Heh... can you tell i get a little insecure? thank you guys for the reassurance (i know you didn't have too ) :D  
Okies, I'm writing this seperate from the review thank yous 'cause i gotta go get a hair cut hehee, so I'll be uploading this by nine!  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**psychokitty3: Yuppo bonding is fun :) I made a little plan... lots of Chris/Leo bonding in about... chapter twenty :ahem:  
  
****kk241289: ended up being more than a weak... forgive me? pleeeeease? blame it on jetlag, illness and other stuff!  
  
****Love Angel 1705: Ooo what didn't you get? I can explain it if you want, like e-mail ya or something :)  
  
****Raya Halliwell: Oh no! Raya that's awful :( You have my hugs if you want them Raya  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: Heeey :) Heeheee Chris is like my ironic/sarcastic outlet... i love his character! Piper's pretty good for that too :)  
  
****ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: totally sympathize with the homework there :) We should form a club! a Homework Is Evil Club! Grrrr.  
  
****ilovedrew88: Yeah yeah it's real hard for Cadey, lol...i just needed to get some info out lol. She's annoying me now... may just have her killed off :ahem heehee:  
  
****Kelie: You will indeed! I try and put little bits in every chapter, even if it's only a tiny clue. Course sometimes i do forget, or it just doesn't fit. Maybe i should start a countdown to a Major Reveal?  
  
****confused: It's both. Well, her NAME is Caden, and her NICKname is Cadey. And like normal nicknames they're interchangeable in thought and speech... uuhhh, lol trying to think of an example... okay.  
I have a friend called Charlotte, but my nicknames for her are Char, Charlie and C. I call her all three plus Charlotte, i usually think "char" and say "charlie" and "charlotte", except for when i have a sore throat and then it's "char", and in my phone and in texts/msn she's C..... phew. does that help?  
  
**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D   
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Fourteen**   
  
Wyatt strode confidently through the pot-holed, run-down streets; Kalister walking a pace behind to his left and barely spared a second for the huddled mortals that ran from his path. If they were witches he might have given them a few seconds notice, but they weren't. If they were witches they lived in the compound, unless they were part of the Resistance and the people that gazed at him did so with fear, not hate, and not even the stupidest member of the underground would be caught out when Kalister was around. The once good now thoroughly evil witch could feel deception like a sixth sense, and wouldn't stop to destroy the one from whom the deception came.   
  
In the past three weeks since the 'battle', and Wyatt used the term in its loosest sense, he had planned and planned, thought out and accounted for as much as he could think of in order to ensure that, this time, the mission was a success. They were walking to the Manor Museum because he found that fresh air, such that it was, was always refreshing before a kill.  
"You understand your mission?"   
  
"Yes, my Lord."  
When no further answer was forthcoming Wyatt asked for him to extrapolate.  
"Slay the witches."   
  
"Which ones? And the back-up plan? What is that?"   
  
"Take out Christopher and Piper Halliwell. If possible, kill Phoebe Halliwell, Paige Matthews and Leo Wyatt. Caden Halliwell will disappear when Leo Wyatt or Piper Halliwell are killed. Back up if I am unable to kill Christopher and Piper I am to turn Caden and bring her back."   
  
"Correct. Once you get to the past, close the portal and blink out. _Do not engage_ right away."   
  
"Let them fall into a false sense of security, yes, my Lord."   
  
"Good, go. And do _not_ fail me."   
  
-   
  
Chris levitated a blue block on top of the red, green and yellow ones already stacked and placed it down carefully.  
"Take it away Wyatt!"   
  
The nearly three-year-old toddler giggled, clapped his hands twice and kicked them down with a gleeful cry. "Agen! Agen!"   
  
"I see you're teaching your brother very useful things there." Phoebe observed, smiling down at the scene. This would certainly be something to remember: a little brother twenty years older than his big brother, setting up square blocks for the sole purpose of amusing the toddler.   
  
"It's very useful, Aunt Phoebe. It's uh, teaching him… very important block-building skills."   
  
"Oh stop lying yourself blind you just want to play with the blocks too!"   
  
Chris put a hand over his heart, a mock expression of horror playing across his face, "You caught me out! Please, _please_ don't tell anyone!"   
  
Phoebe laughed at that, and then harder at the indignant face he pulled next. "Where are your mom and sister?"   
  
"Mom went to P3… and Cadey was munching on cookies in the kitchen."   
  
Phoebe shook her head, completely bewildered, "I can't believe she like _those_ cookies!"   
  
"Hey! She won't be the only one!" said Chris, setting up the blocks all over again.   
  
She raised her eyebrows in a manner reminiscent of Piper, "And who else will?"   
  
"Fat chance, Aunt Phoebe." Chris picked up Wyatt and handed him to Phoebe, "Mom'll be back by eight."   
  
"And where are you going?"   
  
He shrugged, "To follow a lead."   
  
"Hey! Get your orbed butt back here!" The orbs paid her no notice and carried on up and out of the Manor, leaving Phoebe to bounce Wyatt on her hip murmuring, "And what am I supposed to tell his mommy?"   
  
"Don't?"   
  
"I thought you were in the kitchen?"   
  
"I moved."   
  
-   
  
Chris crept from shadow to shadow like a wraith, the slimy blood of the last demon to call his bluff splattered on his shirt. Sneaking around the city, dodging Wyatt's magic-detectors and cronies, meant he was actually quite good at it if he thought so himself and if need be it didn't matter anyway. He could make himself invisible at will again; the one power he definitely appreciated down here.  
Just as his last informant said, before he so unfortunately bought _the_ farm, his next (unwitting) ones were gossiping like schoolgirls.  
Schoolgirls with very wrinkled mauve skin, no hair and armed with a variety of _interesting_ weapons Chris had no intention of being on the wrong end of.  
Edging closer he listened intently,   
  
_"…has been asking details on the Charmed Ones of late."   
  
"Why? No one can do anything with that **baby** in the way. If it gets hurt **we** all get killed by its psycho mother."_   
  
Chris flexed a fist at the reference to Piper.   
  
_A third continued, "Oh but did you hear his plans? He's not **after** the twice-blessed child! He's after the mother Charmed One and their **wretched** whitelighter -"_   
  
Why thank you.   
  
_"I don't see how this is interesting, Lutier!"   
  
"You couldn't know interesting if it bought six strangled puppies to your feet!"   
  
The fourth one, dressed in splendid leather and spandex number, pushed the interrupting pierced female to the floor and told the two storytellers to continue.   
  
"**Anyway**," said the second haughtily, "**His** theory is that without his precious **mommy** and with the work of the Charmed Ones he'll practically turn on his own and evil will flourish!"   
  
"Two birds with one stone!" said the first pleasantly in a high-pitched singsong voice, "And they can't take retribution us since we never did anything to the child!"   
  
All four demons clapped happily, their knives and whips and various other weapons swinging as they bounced and squealed high-pitched ear stinging squeals._   
  
Chris turned away frowning, fear for his mother colouring his thoughts first and foremost. When was this attack going to come? Who was this demon they spoke of? An even worse (was that possible?) with Piper gone, Leo would go off the deep end again, the Power of Three would be broken and he wouldn't exist to care for Wyatt.  
Whoever planned this was organized.  
Too organized…pre-thought though, as if whoever this demon was knew each and every consequence.   
  
Chris stalked off on silent feet and orbed back to the attic.  
He would ready the sisters with as much knowledge, as many spells, potions, and whatever else he could think of -it was the only way he could think to prepare them for a demon who must have the power of premonitions. Stolen from a Seer, perhaps? There were none in his future who'd done that though… meaning there were none now.   
  
Just what was going on exactly?   
  
-----------------------   
  
**Author's Note:**  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**kk241289:  
  
****DarkAngel06: Thank you :) Here's the next bit!  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: I'm getting the idea you like the ironic lines best?  
  
****Sparkling Cherries: :LMAO:! Yes, it was a bit of change... from assassins to shopping, heehee, but they don't know that someone's after them. Hehe you made me blush with all yoru compliments!  
  
****ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: Take it you're a baseball fan then? I've never understood baseball, but then again, the closest thing we have in the UK is Rounders and that's kinda pathetic. So when does the season finish? Just think.... loooong hours of sleep!  
  
**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D   
  
**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Fifteen**   
  
Phoebe curled up in her bed, distressed in her sleep by something unseen. She went to sleep restless with worry over their youngest-come-oldest nephew who was still in the Underworld when she finally called it quits at a little past midnight.  
The minute she fell into a slumber, the images began and hadn't ceased since.  
Phoebe, still entrapped in her sleep, wrapped her hands over her ears as her eyes flicked back and forth, up and down; back and forth, taking in everything they saw; the good, and the bad.   
  
_"Hey Wyatt, you can come in now buddy." Leo smiled at his eldest son, taking him by the hand to lead him into the attic.   
  
"Meet your new brother, Wyatt." Piper held the tiny baby to her chest but lifted a weak hand to rearrange the blankets and let Wyatt see the baby. Unseen by her, but seen by Phoebe, the five-year-old scowled at the baby. Piper glanced around, trying to find something, "Speaking of brothers Leo, where's Chris?"   
  
Phoebe watched as the whitelighter's eyes widened and he sprinted back down the stairs, re-appearing a minute later with the two-year old in his arms, "Mommy!" Chris reached out for his mother, squirming in Leo's grasp.   
  
Another cry broke through the scene; a louder one and Phoebe had the odd sensation of seeing herself stand-up from a conversation with what looked like an elf midwife and hasten off.   
  
"Hey honey," said Piper, "come here and meet your little brother."  
Unlike he had done with Wyatt, who was more than capable of walking himself, Leo gave up trying to pacify Chris and put him on the floor with a frustrated sigh, leaving the toddler to make unsteady steps over to what looked like a make-shift bed on which Piper lay. The whitelighter picked up Wyatt, who promptly stopped scowling.  
"Aw who's a clever little boy? You wanna say hello?"   
  
Chris grasped the edge of the bed with determined fingers and clambered up to get a better view of the latest addition to their family.  
He smiled lightly when the baby cooed at him, "Bruva."   
  
"**Brother**."   
  
"Brathar."   
  
"Close enough, hun."   
  
With the ability of dream logic the scene shifted, morphing to something similar to before, except this time it was she on the makeshift bed, Jason next to her with a little girl as Piper and Paige handed them each a little baby. Twins. One wrapped in pink, the other blue.  
Once more she wasn't bound to the mortal way of seeing, and her viewpoint encased whatever needed to be seen, and this time she saw an older Wyatt, about seven, glaring through the barely-cracked-open door. He didn't seem all too happy about his young cousins.   
  
The scene altered again and Phoebe found herself observing older children. A group of boys were throwing a ball randomly amongst themselves -not in any particular pattern, by the looks of it the aim was to catch each other off guard. Their surroundings looked distantly familiar. Almost like the Manor's own back yard but it was much too big, a double check confirmed that indeed, the Manor was too large as well -it was joined to the left neighbour now and the fence was gone… hence the now large garden. 1330 had the biggest back yard for half a block.  
The boys chatted about random things -baseball, school, football, basketball, demons, football, school plays, basketball, homework, baseball, warlocks... Yes, definitely Halliwell children.  
Suddenly a younger boy with light-brown hair faked passing to the left, reversing and throwing it straight across the circle to the tallest one, definitely a teenager, who fumbled it. As it slipped from his grasp it disappeared in a shimmering of orbs and reappeared in his hands.  
"Wyatt no powers! We're not allowed doofus!"   
  
The teenager, Wyatt, smirked at the other boy, "Do you see any of our mom's around? What they don't know won't hurt them."   
  
"We'll tell mommy, Wy!" The two youngest spoke up in unison -another set of twins. Piper's twins, identical even down to their shoelaces.   
  
Wyatt rolled his eyes, something that she saw Chris do at least twice a day, but the way this teen did it held no humour, no sarcasm, just a condescending annoyance. The amicable mood of a minute earlier was gone.   
  
"You won't tell mom if you like those trucks you play with so much."   
  
The second oldest stepped between the twins and Wyatt, and from the hair and deep green eyes she recognised so well she knew it could only be Chris, using himself as a barrier.  
"Don't threaten them, Wy, they're playing by the rules. You should too, take a forfeit."   
  
"And why should I?"   
  
The original spokesperson piped up, "Because they're the **rules**?"   
  
"Oh shut up, Nate. Rules like that are for **losers**. You can't make me do anything."   
  
"We can tell mom that you used your magic for personal gain **again**. 'Cause we saw you using it on your school work a few days ago too!"   
  
"Ryan, you go cryin' to mom and she'll never believe you, or Ben or Brennan. Or any of you, for that matter."  
A silence fell over the group; apparently what Wyatt said held a heavy truth. Satisfied that they would keep their silence, Wyatt orbed the ball away and stomped back into the house without a backward glance.   
  
The twins sniffed and rubbed their eyes, "Our ball!"   
  
Chris knelt down to their eye level and smiled sadly, "Don't worry, he'll bring it back eventually. How 'bout we play with one of my and Ryan's baseballs?"   
  
"'Kay." The one on the left whispered, and the other nodded in agreement.   
  
The colours blurred in the now familiar way she recognised as being taken to a different moment._   
  
It wasn't the last of the night, and when the alarm started its daily rude awakening at six-thirty Phoebe awoke just as tired, if not more so, than when she went to bed.  
So, going on two hours later, after a lukewarm shower to wake up, Phoebe got dressed and made herself up for the day (granted with slightly more concealer underneath the foundation around her eyes than she usually used) and went downstairs for the obligatory cup of extra-strong coffee.   
  
"Have you seen Chris around?" she asked Paige, trying her very best to sound nonchalant as she took the biggest mug on hand from the cupboard and poured the last of the coffee into it.   
  
"Sorry hun, not for awhile. Why?" Paige spread a dollop of something on her bagel and took a bite.   
  
"Oh no reason, but if he doesn't show up soon I'll be the one killing him."   
  
"Any reason?"   
  
Phoebe gave her a grim smile, unwilling to reveal what her dreams had shown her -dreams that felt real but, lets face it she thought, still could've been just very realistic, lucid dreams. "Several, but I've got to go if I'm gonna be on time. Just let him know I'm after his future butt, alright?"   
  
"Righty, well is it alright if I leave him a note? 'Cause I've got to go pick up some information about my newest temp job in like, half an hour."   
  
"Fine, just so long as he knows!" Phoebe said, walking out of the kitchen as she did so and picking up her keys and jacket in one swoop was at the doorway as Piper came down the stairs with Wyatt in her arms.   
  
"As long as who knows what?" she asked inquisitively.   
  
"I've got to go, talk to you later." Blowing a kiss goodbye to her sisters and nephew she flew out the door, though not literally, and prayed that Chris was all right.   
  
Piper shook her head at Phoebe and carried on into the kitchen to fix up breakfast for Wyatt and herself; ended up having to make a whole fresh pot of coffee (nobody else bothered to after the last was finished) and make Wyatt two breakfasts after he threw the first all over the kitchen walls with a giggle and a wave of his hand.  
"Has Chris been in yet?"   
  
Paige rolled her eyes as she drained her own coffee, "No, he hasn't."   
  
"Hey hey hey! What's with the eyes there, missy?"   
  
"You, Pheebs… between the two of ya I'm surprised you don't know when he uses the bathroom."   
  
"Paige."   
  
"Yeah yeah, but tell Chris Phoebe wanted to speak to him, alright? I've gotta go, y'know, _work_." Paige finished with a groan and left mother and son alone, the former with ill soothed fears dancing with her unborn child. Something wasn't right.   
  
-----------------------   
  
**Author's Note:** I swear the attack is coming.... :D However, down to Prudence.Halliwell's request I've decided to give you guys the opportuinty to vote for more family bonding in the form of flashbacks to the future, or flashbacks to things i've mentioned (i.e: the shopping trip). So, just say so in the review :) Yes or no, detail if you want :D  
  
**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Panther28: Aww thank you :) I guess from your perspective, this update was SUPER fast! :D  
  
****Pruedence.Halliwell: Let me down? Calm down girl! I'm just glad you reviewed! Every review I love :D More bonding? Well.. maybe I'll put that in. I've got an interesting thing planned around Chapter Twenty Two/Three, I could have a flashback to that trip if you want :D Just lemme know in a review... tell you what (adds more to the A/N)  
Future Piper's ignorance to her children's powers is... both her fault and the kids. THEY didn't want her to know, and SHE wasn't looking to find any more than what she knew about. Presumptions. It aaaall comes down to presumptions, I guess :) Does that help any? Feel free to say no and I'll work it into the story sooner :D  
****ChArMeDcRaZiChIcK: Hay score for your baseball team :D Mmmm sleep :D  
  
****Queen of the Elven City: LMAO! Aw man you and me are soooo on the same ironic wave length :D  
  
****psychokitty3: How could I resist that enthusiasim!!  
  
****Sparkling Cherries: Okay I am taking a bizarre pleasure in pulling ya'll along... Yeees my plot... my plot is my preeeeecious :D  
  
****DrewFullerFan4Life: Didn't want to have you waiting too long :D  
  
**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Sixteen**

Chris pushed the hair from up from his head, as if to push the bleariness that resided there as well, and willed the growing ache at his temples to dissipate.  
Having crashed at the office in P3 rather than creeping through Halliwell Manor in the wee hours of the morning to a disapproving Piper and, chances were, at least one other relative.  
He didn't notice it then, but thinking back Chris supposed it was present the day before too, just not as tear-jarringly painful. So, needless to say, exactly what he _didn't_ need was the voice of his mother calling him _loudly_ from breakfast.  
"Why now?" he moaned, taking the time to change his sleep-ruffled shirt for a slightly cleaner one and orbed to the Manor, praying for the presence of aspirin, or sometime of painkiller in the medicine box above the potted plant.  
It was worse than a hangover, and without the good night out before!  
"_What_?" he said irritably.

"Don't you get snappy with me, mister. Breakfast, now!" 

"Can't you badger Cadey? I _was_ sleeping." 

"It's nine thirty in the morning!" 

"Exactly!" 

Piper frowned, "For your information, I called Caden down half hour ago. _She's_ in the bathroom, taking a shower. _You're_ late." 

Chris would have rolled his eyes, but the pounding in his head was bringing black spots to his eyes with each _thud_ of his heart. As it was, he settled for trying not to be too obvious in his very sincere gratefulness for the kitchen chair.  
Unfortunately by trying to hide what he normally would do without hesitation -hell rolling his eyes was a trademark of his -Chris placed himself smack bang in the centre of his mother's instinctive radar.  
"Chris?"  
Somewhere, the response he heard in his mind got lost on the way to his mouth, instead a mumble worked its way past a tongue that felt a few millimetres too big.  
Piper's tone grew evermore concerned when no sarcastic comment was forthcoming, "Chris? Chris what's wrong?"  
If he knew, the information wasn't being very forthcoming. Was this what a migraine was like? Aunt Phoebe used to get them when everything got too much, but she never said anything about feeling this, about them coming on so _fast_.  
Once more nothing intelligible came out, and if he hadn't been so focused on rubbing his eyes, he would've found that fact highly amusing.  
The roaring pain however wasn't much to laugh at, and the black spots were taking over his vision -

"CHRIS!" 

- 

Chris felt himself fall from the kitchen with a detached sensation, felt the air _whoosh_ past his ears, but instead of hitting the floor with his body, the detached part of him kept falling _through_ the floor, through the foundations the rocks, through the dirt and through to the magical underworld somewhere in-between.  
_So that's not what a migraine's like; came Mel's dry voice, that's what dark magic trying to pull your consciousness to them is like._  
Or was it his soul?  
Either way he found himself semi-transparent and staring at Kevin, now known as Kalister.  
The innocent he failed to save from Wyatt.  
"What do you want, Kevin?"

The emotionless mask on his dark-skinned face didn't flicker; he simply turned and walked away to stand motionless a few feet away.  
"Kevin? Kevin, answer me."  
It was worth a try, but proved completely fruitless, much as pushing the glasslike walls that kept him separated from his body turned out to be.  
"Kevin."  
Still no reply, still no surprise in the silence, or the zero effect of blowing up his cage.  
Kevin was always a man of few words, and now he was Kalister he rarely spoke outside of his work.  
This was a bad situation to be in, especially with some demon after Piper.  
Chris leaned against a wall and ran a hand through his hair. How was he going to get out of this? What was Kevin waiting for? When was the demon after Piper going to attack? While he was gone? How did that demon know so many cause and effects?  
Why was -  
A wind cut through his thoughts, whipping around the cavern and pulling at Kevin's black hair. It didn't startle the assassin in the slightest; in fact it seemed to please him immensely.  
Balls of yellow-white light swam through the ceiling in spirals, glowing like giant fireflies until they coalesced into four very familiar figures, a fifth joining seconds later.  
Piper, Leo, Phoebe, Paige and Cadey.  
This bad situation had just got a _whole_ lot worse.  
"Aw _crap_."

Still in full silent mode, Kevin merely threw a bottled potion at the new arrivals not even a second after they all finished forming, and another (somehow) into Chris's cage. Burnt orange smoke and the smell of dying flowers assaulted his senses for a brief moment or two, and then, for the second time that day, he fell, but this time, he knew no more. 

----------------------- 

**Author's Note:** Okay I formatted this for upload on Monday but got a little sidetracked by homework, so my apologies there. I think ya'll were suspecting some big action scene.... whereas me... I'm an angst, sorry _pathos_, writer. Gawd. T'other day one of my teachers said angst and she should said pathos so i was just sniggering into my folder ;)  
'Kay, so from the lack of reply, I guess you guys aren't really bothered about Bonding Flashbacks so I'll only probably only put some in if my homework load is light :) 

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Inversnaid: There you go!**

**ilovedrew88: I do love flashbacks... as you'll learn in the next couple of chapters :D**

**Pruedence.Halliwell: You mean Caden has a fan? Cor blimey :O**

**Sparkling Cherries: _looks innocently at her feet_ sorry about the delay... blame my school! Stupid art... who whudda though A-Level required so much bleedin' drawing! LOL!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Seventeen**

Chris tugged on the ropes that bound his hands. Behind him the rest of his family were enclosed behind (another) stone cage.  
And in front of him? In front of him Kalister finished mixing a series of colourful liquids and other strange ingredients into a cauldron and poured the final potion into a glass vial.  
"I hope you're thirsty Christopher." He said, striding over the few metres between them, "Drink."

Chris clamped his mouth shut and stared stonily at the man he almost got to know. Would have got to know if Wyatt hadn't broken him beyond all moral sense. As far as Kevin was concerned, Chris was beginning to doubt if there was any of him left at all. Kalister was too strong.

"_Drink_."

Chris remained unfazed, and if Kalister showed emotion he still wouldn't have looked surprised. He still had Kevin's memories after all. In one swift motion he threw one hand into Chris's stomach and the other onto his nose, stopping him from drawing air in through there.  
It was about five seconds before he had to gasp for air and the (very much vile) potion was forced down his throat -not bad considering he'd just been winded.

"Time to share, kid." Kalister paused for breath and threw a companion potion at the wall facing them.  
"_Show out clear,  
Replay them here,  
What I wish to display from him  
Ones by choice not by whim._"

Chris blanched. "What have you done?"

Kalister ignored the younger mans question. "Where to start, Christopher? Close to the beginning? And whenever from then?"  
Bile rose in Chris's throat.  
The memory spell. Of all spells. His past on display for his parents to see. For his Aunts to see. Why did Kalister change the potion ingredients? It tasted different to last time.  
The assassin took up a new leaning post as images sped by, halted, and formed like a movie on the wall facing them. "Watch and learn, Mrs. Halliwell."

_"Wyatt this ain't funny no more…" Six-year-old Christopher stared with wide eyes at the mirror in the bathroom, involuntarily taking a step backwards into the closed door.  
Eight-year-old Wyatt Matthew Halliwell, Philip to his grandmother and great-grandmother, pulled a face at his younger brother.  
"You're such a wuss, Chris!" _

"Bu' what if it's real?"

"Then I'll kill it, I've been doing it since I was a year old, haven't I?"

"Bu' it's the **Candyman**, Wy! It'll kill us!"

"Wuss."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Prove it then! You do it!"

A childish misgiving aside, to be a wuss was a Very Bad Thing. Daddy always told him not to cry, to be strong. Like Wyatt.  
To **not** be a wuss, so…  
Sticking out his chin Christopher Leo Halliwell (Perry to his dead relatives, excluding his father, obviously) took long steps over the short space to the mirror and levitated up to it defiantly.  
"Candyman candyman candyman."

Wyatt smirked, "You have to say it five times doofus."  
Chris swallowed the lump in his throat and finished the chant, only to be thrown against the opposite wall for his troubles by the swirling black and red vortex that appeared in the mirrors place.  
Chris felt his jaw sew shut in fear, preventing his urge to yell '**told ya so**' at his oldest brother from escaping. This was very very very bad!

"I do believe that would be your first memory of being lured into something, isn't it Christopher?"  
Unease penetrated his sense as soon as the memory finished. He felt… guilty? Unhappy? Just like in his memory. Ashamed… except bigger… more grown up.

He wasn't given any more time to dwell on how, or why, or anything at all really: Kalister was already pulling out the next segment of history. His baritone voice faded into the background as the new scene took over everything Chris knew.  
"Let's find a better one, Lord Wyatt doesn't like to be kept long."

_Chris held Ben and Brennan's hands tightly, putting himself in front of the twins, hoping to shield them from Wyatt's madness. They didn't shed a tear, but he felt their hands trembling in his. To his left, and also just behind him, Ryan held their baby sister Caden, trying to quieten her cries.  
"Wyatt what have you done?" _

"I'm gaining powers, Chris, what does it look like?"

At twelve, Chris had been dealing with his brother's evil for eight years, but he knew Wyatt was never good. He simply only showed it to Chris five years ago.  
"It looks like you just murdered an innocent, Wy."

"She was just an elf nanny. Grow up, Chris, open your eyes to the true world."

"And that would be what? Where everybody worships you?" Ryan spat.

Wyatt glowered, blue eyes hard as steel, "Shut your mouth or loose it."

"What's your true world, Wy?" Chris asked. If he could buy time, placate him; they would get out of this in one piece. They would think of a story to explain the dead nanny, the one who had helped look after all of the Charmed one's children. They would take whatever Leo gave them, for not being like Wyatt. They would get through this because they had too.

"The true world? The true world, dear Christopher, is one above all petty, archaic principles of good and evil. It's all about power, and those who have it."

"And you have it?"

"I'm the Twice-Blessed child, I not only have power; I have the leeway to do anything and everything to get **more**."

"Don't look so shocked, Mrs. Halliwell. That became a normal occurrence, didn't it Christopher? Coming home from school with your brothers and cousins to find that kind of scene. Knowing that you were too weak to do anything about it."

Kalister gave him no chance to recover from the feelings of his memory. Still reeling -

_Wyatt stood in front of the closed doorway to their bedroom, shaking his blonde head; he was disappointed about something.  
"I can't let you keep interfering like this, Chris."  
Chris closed his History book with deliberate accuracy. It gave his hands something to do.  
Wyatt continued.  
"You're too smart, better than the others, and I can't risk you becoming a liability: I like you too much for that." _

At thirteen, Chris knew how to deal with a lot of things most teenagers didn't even know existed, but he suddenly found himself feeling much smaller than his actual stature. Wyatt had a way of doing that. Butterflies danced in his stomach, jumped about in apprehensive acrobatic motions making him feel ill.  
"What are you going to do, Wy?"

"This witch before me,  
Charmed blood running in thee,  
Bind his powers, bind them now,  
Every and all, save last two,  
Just do it so there's no coup."

"That was crap, Wyatt."

"Well I only had five minutes. Just out of interest, you do know what I've left you with, right?"

The tone, so conversational, so relaxed…it was almost enough to convince him that this might not be happening. That his brother hadn't just bound his powers. Maybe it was all a joke, and Wyatt wasn't as far along as Chris was now fearing he indeed… was. Time would tell, although the butterflies were usually right. Their dances, so lively and energetic, bounced around faster and faster and faster and faster and faster and faster… they said this was bad.  
This was very very bad.  
"You're thick but you're not stupid. We both know mom only knows about my orbing and telekinesis."

"Of course. I was only checking. See you later, Chris."

What was real? Chris felt the full extent of the emotions his thirteen-year-old memory self felt, but in his twenty-two year old way. With all the hindsight he was now afforded included. He'd done so many things wrong… he thought he could persuade Wyatt to be good again… but he was too far gone by then.  
A freezing fire, now the familiar feeling of guilt, settled in the pit of his stomach.

_He battled the raging winds with a gathering sense of dread. The winds couldn't have been natural, not in the sense that they built up due to forces of such that drive the weather. These were made by magic, an out of control magic; like a magical mood tantrum.  
"Ryan, keep Ben and Brennan out here, just for a sec' will ya?" _

"Sure." Ryan didn't question it, and for once the twins were quiet, eyes wide staring at him to fix whatever was wrong inside the house. It wasn't like Wyatt would. It wasn't like Wyatt ever had.

His hands felt heavy, like they were lined with lead, making putting the key in the door and turning it a difficult and clumsy task. What was on the other side of the door? It had to be Caden, only she made things like this happen (on a much smaller scale), but what had sent her so crazy? Chris hoped with every fibre in him it was just a temper caused magical tantrum.  
A deafening roar launched from all around them, and lightning ripped through the sky in a blue-white blaze as he pushed open the door.  
"Caden? Caden! Where are you?"

Something splashed onto his grey sneakers as he stepped through the threshold, at the same time a coppery smell tingled at the back of his throat.  
Aunt Phoebe, for all her premonitions and psychic powers, was impaled on a table leg.

Nothing hit like a tonne of bricks. He felt nothing. He kept walking. Past Uncle Jason, the fireball wound still smoking on his stomach. Past the burning photographs fallen from the walls. Past splattered demon bits. Past Aunt Paige, neck at an unnatural angle and another fireball wound on her side. Past Uncle Richard, horribly deep claw slashes over his stomach and leg. He could see the bone in his thigh. Past Danny's latest A-grade homework, stained in blood of red, human or demon?

In the end he saw the result before he saw the reason.  
Caden sat, legs pulled up to her chest, rocking in the far corner beside a smouldering armchair.  
Chris tried to move his mouth, to get his jaw moving and voice box working but found it strangely unable to do so. He kept walking, to her side and that's when the Nothing slipped away and the hole began to gape inside his chest. Minus the fireball.  
His mom, dead.  
Murdered by a demon.  
Dead.

The ground shook.

Dead.

Dead.

Thunder cracked.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

The ground screamed in protest.

Dead.

Dead.

Dead.

Hurricane winds blasted past the windows.

Dead.

Dead.

"Dead."

Kalister nodded in emotionless satisfaction.

"It was your fault Chris. It was all your fault."

"She's dead."

"She's dead because of you. If you'd have stayed home, listened to your instincts about Wyatt, you could have protected her."

"I killed her."

"Wyatt didn't do it. He may have held the gun, but you fired the trigger, Chris. It's your fault your mother is dead."

"I killed my mother."

"Your own father believes it was your fault, remember that day? How he made you feel?"

-----------------------

**Author's Note:** See! A nice long chapter! And the next one will carry on from where it left off, for a change :D

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Sparkling Cherries: Aw hun don't worry 'bout it, my compy does stupid things at times -like loosing files :S  
_--joins in with the grumbling about art--_ trust me. at a-level, it's much worse.  
Me? Leave Chris in situations? Me? **

**ilovedrew88: ye-ah i thought it was quite funky ;) **

**Pruedence.Halliwell: that's quite a theory, i never thought of it like that before... i like playing around with the names. Any fairly main character i event has a meaning. The only one in this story is Caden so far cause she has a middle name too -they all do - but that won't come out until about Twenty-Two/Three. ;) **

**Queen of the Elven City: Ironic, that ;)**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Eighteen**

_Two weeks. For two weeks he, his brothers and sister and cousins had been hiding out in an old unused store a few blocks from what **used** to be P3, the club his mother **used** to own. Two weeks._

Two weeks -fourteen days and seven hours since his cousins were orphaned and they all lost their mothers.  
Fourteen days and two hours since Imy, Danny, Nate, Eveyln, Ben, Bren, and Cadey couldn't sleep without knowing where everyone was.  
Fourteen days and one hour since Danny stopped talking.  
Fourteen days and five minutes since he stopped crying.  
Fourteen days and three minutes since he vowed to look after them all.  
Fourteen days and two minutes since he started to try and disassociate the words 'brother' and 'Wyatt' in his head.  
And it was proving to be a much harder task than he'd originally hoped.

Of course trying to convince Cadey that he'd still be there when she woke up was getting no easier either.

Finding food for eleven kids with no money and a brother with Gods knows how many spies wasn't any fun on any scale for that matter. 

In fact… life was just **so peachy**, that exactly what he **didn't** need was a certain selectively absentee father trying to orb through the protective barrier… but it would have been selfish to ignore the persistent ringing -he was probably coming to see Cadey. Or the twins. Maybe even Ryan. 

"What the hell did you do? You useless -"  
Hold the press! Alert the electronic media! It's me! Hi dad, nice to see ya. I'm fine thanks, in no part due to your help of late, how are you?  
"-son of a bitch! Why didn't you heal her? Why? Tell me Chris! To make a point? You sick, twisted little boy! You let your mother die! You let your aunts die! You let your uncles die! You as good as killed. Them. Yourself!

"I can't heal! You never taught me!" 

"Wyatt can!" 

"You took the time to teach him! He's the special one! Remember? Why don't you go and ask him **why** he didn't answer our calls until they were way too gone? Or better yet, why didn't **you** come at all? Until **NOW**!" 

"Don't you dare try to put this on your brother! Wyatt is a good boy! A good witch! I've asked him where he was -he was following a lead on what had been attacking your mother and aunts -he was in the Underworld! Saving innocents! **YOU**. You on the other hand. **You**. Make. Me. **Sick**! I wouldn't be surprised if you organised the attack! 

And that, that was when Chris ran to their tiny bathroom and threw up what little he'd eaten that day into the toilet.  
No tears came, just more dry heaves and a bitter taste.

There was a jump then, the world blurred and dimmed and sounds faded, becoming murmurs that came and went and he heard the lullaby his mother sang when they had nightmares… 

"And we mustn't forget what a failure you are either: your mother, your aunts, your uncles, your pathetic attempts to save me from my destiny." 

_Eight blocks to go.  
Chris ran through the street, hurdling over debris from what used to be a tree and tossing aside his doubts.  
It may have been a freezing morning, and he may have been wearing only well-worn combats and a thin sweatshirt and he may have only been fourteen, but he was a teen with a mission.  
Save Kevin Newman.  
Five blocks.  
After Melinda's premonition during their watch last night it was all he could think about: she got it when she touched **him** -that was his reasoning when they all begged him not to go. The youngest ones were the hardest to resist.  
They were all so scared. Who could blame them? **He** was petrified. They'd lost all their mothers, all their aunts, and two fathers between them.  
And Leo?  
He was as good as dead to **all** of them now, not just to him.  
That left he, Chris, as the eldest.  
That was the worst part. He had to look after everyone knowing he had already let five people die._

Everyone.  
And that included whoever Kevin Newman turned out to be,  
One block to go.

Skidding right down an overshadowed street Chris wished briefly for his freezing power: three demons, two upper and one lower if he was guessing correctly, and Wyatt were beating down on Kevin's position behind an overflowing, reeking, dumpster.  
A greying leg hung out the side, scratches still evident where the socks had been pulled hastily off.

A distraction; that was what he needed. 

"HEY! PEA-BRAIN!" 

Oh boy. Worked more than he wanted it to actually.  
The nearest demon hurled an energy ball straight at his head.  
Nearly hit it too.

Chris dived to the floor, stubbornly ignoring the stinging pain when his palms raked across the uneven floor and stones bit into his skin. He also tried to push down the conflicting ideas that he probably **could** have pushed it away, but knowing that he had never had to rely on **only** his telekinesis in a situation like this -he didn't trust **himself** yet. What id he pushed the ball at Kevin? The very guy he was trying to save?  
And that was why his knee was now throbbing and his whole right arm felt weird.  
Note to self: land better.

"Look who's here to save the day," Wyatt drawled, "Did Mel get a premonition? I'll have to put an end to that, it's a trifle annoying when she knows what I'm going to do before I even do it?" 

Chris didn't bother to respond, just made added another 'to do' to his very long 'to do' list. Warn Mel that Wyatt was after her. 

"You won't win, you know. I always get what I want -that's the way it works. I see something, I want it, and then, I have it. I mean, come on Christopher, what kind of imbecile do you take me for? I wouldn't go after Kevin here unless I **knew** I would succeed."  
A cold and heavy feeling settled in his throat. He did not like where this was going. Slowly, he edged closer to Kevin, an inch at a time.  
"You see, Kevin here will see the light soon, just like I have. And if he doesn't, well," The cold smirk spread over Wyatt's features, "He'll be mine anyway."

Chris threw out his hand, intending to force all four onto their backsides, but found himself being flung into the side of the dumpster instead, leaving him breathless.  
Hand still outstretched, Wyatt called what he wanted to him unnecessarily, "Kevin Newman!"  
Shocked, Kevin disappeared in a circle of orbs and reappeared in the hands on the upper-level demons, who shimmered away without another thought.  
"Don't you get it Chris? You'll never win. You can't."

"You didn't even manage to save Melinda either, did you? She died at Wyatt's hand because you couldn't save her. And don't forget about Sam and Shawn, no we mustn't forget about them. If you'd only tried harder, they would probably still be alive. Do you remember that day? I believe I shall replay it just in-case." 

_He struggled against the chains that chafed his wrists, cutting into the raw and bleeding skin deeper still.  
"Wyatt don't!"_

"They tried to kill me, Christopher. You all know what the punishment for that is."  
**That** smirk filled his face again, and Chris screamed something unintelligible at the thing doing the smirking.  
"Oh come now, brother. Speak sense."

"Let them go!" Blood trickled down his hands. Wyatt raised a casual hand, played with an energy ball. "Wyatt!"  
All he could see when he looked at Ben and Brennan were the little kids who came into his bed during stormy nights.  
"Wyatt kill me instead of them!"

The smirk dimmed a little, and returned full force, "Where would be the fun in that? I **like** you Christopher; you're my only sibling really…the rest just happened to live with us."  
His oldest brother, the one he was supposed to look up to, sauntered to the chained and gagged twins, hung like medieval prisoners to the opposite wall. Two identical pairs of fearful, trying to be defiant, eyes stared back at Wyatt. He carried on talking.  
"Sure, I didn't like you for the first few months -it used to be just mom and me. But you were all right. You didn't kick up a fuss every time she left the room: you were happy just to be with me. But the others… Chris there's such a thing as **too much family**. Hello? You, mom and me. Perfect. Then you had Aunt Phoebe, Uncle Jason, Aunt Paige, Uncle Richard, Melinda, Nathan, Evelyn, Juliette, Imogen **and** Danielle? Plus dad whenever he felt like showing up. So add Ryan, these two and Caden and there was never any time for me and mom. She was always looking after some screaming kid.  
You were always nice and quiet though, Chris. What happened to that? You should be quiet more often.  
"If you'd have kept quiet, who knows? Maybe these two idiots," he pulled on the nearest -Brennan's- hair, "wouldn't have joined that stupid Resistance, which I will end as soon as it ceases to amuse me, rest assured of that, and just think. If they never joined the Resistance, they never would have got the stupid idea into their heads that it was possible to even hurt me.  
"And they never would have had to die."

A flick, and Brennan was gone. Blown into pieces too small to even splatter.  
Wyatt's smirk never even flickered. Unlike Ben, whose screams couldn't be muffled entirely by the gag in his mouth, Chris had no such gag. All the better to talk to Wyatt.  
His screams echoed through the barren room, into the corridor and radiated though the walls.  
Dead.  
"You both knew the punishment, Ben. The only exception is Christopher, and you are no Christopher."  
It was an energy ball this time, rolled around his fingers until he threw it with such power that, like his twin, Ben was nothing more than a memory.  
Dead.  
"Damnit you son of a bitch!"  
Dead.  
"Oh come now Christo -"  
Dead.  
"I swear to God, I will stop you!"  
Dead.  
Wyatt laughed, but too Chris there was nothing funny about the humorous tone, or the situation. Wyatt had just killed their baby brothers.  
Dead. Will the sun come out tomorrow when it realises the twins are gone and dead and no more and never again and dead dead dead?

"Don't you get it Christopher? You are a _disease_. You infect, you weaken, and you _kill_. The only way you can save your _remaining_ family members is to _surrender_ to _me_. _Return_ to the future, and _stay_. Till the _end of your days.  
It's. All. Your. Fault._"

Piper beat on the barrier as Chris repeated the words Kalister poisoned his mind with, but no sound of her fists or her shouts were heard on the other side.

"'s' my fault." 

"But you can stop more deaths." 

"Save them?" 

"End the Resistance, once and for all. Join us, in the future." 

"Save them… join you? J-j-join Wyatt?" 

"End it all." 

"Wyatt… Wyatt's dead." 

"Wyatt is not dead. Lord Wyatt is ruler of a free world." 

"Wyatt's dead. Not join you. Not _Lordy Wyatt_. N-no." Voice weak from screams, Kalister had to strain his ears to hear the defiance. "Only w-wa-one way to s-stop me." 

"Oh? Do share?" 

Christopher Leo Halliwell, also known as Perry, looked at the man once called Kevin Shea, with eyes that echoed Benjamin's empty ones from two years ago. "Eh-end forever, th-then Ry-ra-ryan and Cay-Caden will b-be s-s-safe. 

Kalister shook his head, "Well that's not any good. Your _brother_ wants you alive kid." 

"I WANT TO DIE!" 

"And I can't have that." Kalister stepped around the high-backed chair, tightening the now-slick ropes that bound the witch-whitelighter's scraped and chaffed wrists.  
It was the only opening he needed.  
The ground jolted to the left, carrying Kalister barely a metre away. Chris threw himself in the opposite direction, biting through his lip when he landed on his shoulder, popping it wrenchingly out of place, also knocking away the itching blindfold.  
It gave him a peek behind, enough to throw Kalister further away, a bolt of lightening lit from his hand tight on his heels.  
Served a dual purpose of singing completely through the ropes and to his wrists.  
Pain, not Death.  
But he _deserved_ to die. It was _his_ fault that mom was dead, that dad was dead, that Aunt Phoebe was dead, that Aunt Paige was dead for the second time, that Uncle Jason was dead, that Uncle Richard was dead…. All his cousins… his brothers… all his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his faul-

"Chris?" Piper spoke cautiously from behind the barrier, hands pressed against it, ignoring the tingle. "Honey? Honey, say something, please?"

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his- 

"Perry? You're scaring us!" 

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault - 

"Phoebe, can you sense anything?" 

Phoebe shook her head,  
"I'm being blocked still."

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault- 

"He's in pain." Leo's voice was strained, he held Wyatt to his chest.  
His fault his fault his fault his fau -

Phoebe span around,  
"Since when could you sense emotions?"

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault hi - 

"I, I don't know. I've never been able to sense his like I can Wyatt's before." 

"You can sense Wyatt's?" 

"_They_ are my _sons_, Piper. The longer I spend with them, it must increase it." 

"Can't you fix him, Leo?" Caden asked hopefully. 

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his - 

"It's not that simple." 

"Make it that simple! Something's wrong with him!" 

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his f- 

"_Chris_." 

Save them save them save them save them save them save them save them save them. 

Chris knocked out the stones and scuffed the herbs that reinforced the barrier, effectively destroying it.  
His fault his fault his fault. He had to make it better. Had to fix it. Save Ryan and Caden and Juliette. Save Piper and Leo.

"There's only one way." 

----------------------- 

**Author's Note:** _-phew-_ in a weird way this was fun to write... but i'm very freakish like that. on the up-side i'm going to Bradford tomorrow for a day on the Horror genre, so if i can translate any of the movie stuff from that to this, i will indeed! Gawd... pulled an eleven and a half hour shift yesterday (where'd my life go?!) so i apologise for any grammar/spelling mistakes i missed towards the end :S 

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Nemesis' Arrow: And i love reading your reviews :D**

**Magical Princess (x2): It's his memories, but it's the only way i could think to show them to you guys :) How did you like the latest installment?**

**ilovedrew88: As long as you're feeling bad too i must be doing ok! I thought this update was pretty quick.... :)**

**TurNArounD: Nah Chris didn't literally kill Piper, but that's the tricky thing with guilt...**

**Sparkling Cherries: okay i won't ask about toodle pip, lol. But man do i sympathise and completely understand about all the work!**

**Kelie: I don't... but then again... i'm the writer _-laughs evilly-_**

**Pruedence.Halliwell: gladly!!**

**Anna G: Lol yes ff is a stupid s.o.b. most of the time, isn't it? glad you liked it so much to persist in trying :D :D :D**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Nineteen**

His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault - top of top.  
Mount Kilamonjaro.  
Breathing hurt.  
Like the weight in his chest had manifested into a physical form.  
His fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault -had to end it. One way to stop him screwing up.  
His fault his fault his fault his fault -

Too much. 

- 

"Chris!" Caden screamed, her head cast to the ceiling and eyes tearing, "CHRIS!"  
This could not be happening! Good was supposed to beat the bad! Not the other way around! "What're we gonna do!"

"Kalter, Kalise, Kalister! Freeze it pal!" Piper flicked her hands, fully expecting the recovering assassin to halt in his tracks.  
He didn't -for reasons obvious to Caden.

"Mom he's a witch he can't be froze!" 

Caden watched the sisters explode and orb things in Kalister's way, slowing him down at least for the minute. She watched and she toyed with the indecision.  
Only Kalister was able to undo his spell, which was why he locked them all. They needed him alive and able to talk.  
But, he was a big guy. And she was, well, _wasn't_.  
But Chris wanted to die at the moment, curtsey of the spell.  
But Kalister was a lot stronger.  
But she had more power.  
But Piper would think she was evil if she showed a power other than telekinesis.  
But it was _Chris_.  
Decided. It was Chris.

She built up a ball of lightening, the static electricity feeling comfortably at home in her palm and used her speed to, well, _speed_ over to the assassin who was quickly sorting himself out despite the sisters best efforts. He wiped the blood from his head like it was nothing more than water.  
And then he fell to the floor as the lightening connected and knocked him out.

- 

Long way down. Surely far enough. Far enough for no more chances. 

- 

Piper couldn't believe what was happening. Chris was talking about committing suicide, it looked like Caden was part Lepricorn, and Kalister was suitably unconscious on the floor. 

Chris. 

"Leo! Can you sense him?" 

Elder Leo, in all his glory, was as white as a sheet. He handed Wyatt to Paige who orbed away without a word, returning a minute later to inform them that she'd taken him to Darryl and Shelia's, but she got no response from Piper, she was too focused on Leo. She took his hand as if to strengthen the search. For all she knew it did, because he opened his eyes a breath later.  
Oh God tell me you found our son…

"I think I found him. Almost. I can't narrow it down." 

"Where? Where-ish?" 

"Tanzania, Africa." 

"Are there any tall places there?" 

"Didn't you go to school?" Phoebe asked incredulously. 

"Not for very long, no. _Is there_?" 

"There's one very big mountain," said Piper, 

"Quite famous actually." Paige drawled. 

"That doesn't matter to Chris! If it's high up then that's where he'll be! We gotta go there!" 

"Why?" 

"Can you just go? Chris is in trouble dad!" 

- 

Chris felt the wind in his hair. Saw every memory he'd spent most of the time subconsciously trying to forget. He felt the biting sting of the air. Felt something missing.  
He heard the blood splatter on his shoes again.  
_Chris tried to move his mouth, to get his jaw moving and voice box working but found it strangely unable to do so.  
_He saw the pleading look in Ben's eyes, the darkest of browns, after his twin was murdered: knew Ben couldn't live without his other half.  
_It was an energy ball this time, rolled around his fingers until he threw it with such power that, like his twin, Ben was nothing more than a memory._  
Some things were fading. And those were the things that made the hole bigger. The minute differences between Ben and Brennan. There used to be seven, he was sure, but now… only two remained clear in his head -  
_A flick, and Brennan was gone. Blown into pieces too small to even splatter -  
_  
_ -something splashed onto his grey sneakers as he stepped through the threshold, at the same time a coppery smell tingled at the back of his throat.  
Aunt Phoebe, for all her premonitions and psychic powers, was impaled on a table leg -_

-Ben was nothing more than a memory. 

He saw every little thing Wyatt ever did that clued them in to his moral compass: every little thing their parents ignored until it was too late. Every little thing he should have done to stop him earlier. Every little thing he should have done something about. But he hadn't and all this was his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault his fault -he heard the deafening anger in his father's voice as he screamed and shook him for not saving his mother. He saw the finally understanding gaze in his father's eyes seconds before he died for a last time.  
He saw all the times he'd _failed_.  
He felt the muscles in his leg move, taking off the final steps to stop him causing any more deaths.  
He fell. 

----------------------- 

**Author's Note:**

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**Raya Sparrow: Aw hun don't worry about it! Everybody is busy, including me!  
Okay, so Wyatt isn't in the past, he sent Kalistr into the past in order to kill Chris. Lol, complicated i know, but i'm evil like that heheh.  
Ooo you didn't, but thank you very much :D**

**Pruedence.Halliwell: how could i resist those eyes? here i am!**

**Sparkling Cherries: updating updating! ye-ah work is evil, lol.**

**TurNArounD: it had you in tears? really? cause i'm sorry if it did... though kinda proud at the same time in a bizarre way...**

**ilovedrew88: eheheeheheheeeheeheeeeeee**

**Queen of the Elven City: wooo! your reviews certainly do the same!**

**As Always (x2): Well hello! I like new reviewers.... well i like all reviewers actually :D yeah toying with people's (especially Chris') mind is so mean.... but so twistedly fun :D**

**Nemesis' Arrow: as long as you're having lots of fun then yes :D   
**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Twenty**

Leo pushed his orbing self through the mountains and clouds faster than he ever would on the usual second-taking trips.  
He was so close to getting his family back -he and Piper were finally close again, Wyatt was growing up so fast into such a great little kid, things were improving between he and Chris, Caden called him dad, they were going to have three other beautiful boys…  
Chris was too close to a ledge when he caught up. A rocky shelf almost took his life in a cold splat and dull smack. Encasing his son in orbs, Leo did little to hasten back to the cave, instead he enjoyed the simple sensation of knowing his boy was safe for the time, but once there, they met silence. A rush of bodies ran to them like a human wall, hugging and smooching and sobbing.  
Chris never said a word: stared at his surroundings with empty eyes. He was hiding from everything now. Because of _him_. Because of Kalister.

Speaking of which… where was the bastard?

"_He's_… not going to be a problem in the immediate future."

Leo gave Phoebe a questioning gaze with raised eyebrows -since when was she telepathic?

"Emotions are just as telling as thoughts, Leo. _He's_ over there."

Somewhat reluctantly, Leo broke away from the group, his family and extended family; the overpowering need to see the man that hurt his boy finally winning over.

Always blank, Kalister's face remained so now. There wasn't a trace of the wide smile they saw in Chris's memory. At some point the sisters had bound the assassin to the very chair Chris had been captive to. Ankles, knees, waist, elbows, wrists… even a blindfold fashioned from Paige's jacket. It wasn't enough.  
He wasn't in pain. He wasn't hurting. He was nowhere near uncomfortable enough. There was no trial in this. Nothing like anything Chris had had to endure.  
If everybody got his or hers then this Kalister wasn't getting his fast enough.

So Leo hit him.  
Hard.  
Forced the chair to rock backwards, tilt on its hindmost legs for a second or so and hit the floor again with a not-quite-jarring-enough motion.  
And you know what? It felt good. Kalister hurt his son, so Leo hurt him.  
He raised his arm to do it again (- again and again and again and again -) and mustered every ounce of hate he had and threw his arm forward.

Found Phoebe on the end of it, effectively stopping the blow from ever making contact. Anger rose, wanting to be released.  
"PHOEBE!"

Had he not been _so-damn-angry_, he would've noticed that look in her eyes. But he was, so he didn't. He restrained himself from hurting Phoebe, and thought he was doing pretty well to do that.  
"Leo this isn't you! Leo! Listen to me!"

"I am listening! Say what you have to say and let me at that _man_." Leo snapped.

"Will you just _calm down_ for a second? You're a pacifist, remember?"

Leo raged against her hold and discovered she was much stronger than she looked, "He hurt my son!"

"And he'll pay, but not like this. Get little Wyatt. Go to your family. Be a father. Let _us_ deal with him."

"_Phoebe_."

"Stop being an _ass_ and go. You really think Kalister is going to get away with what he tried to do?"

"Leo?"

He stopped at that. Not at Phoebe's reasoning and calm (or mostly calm) words. Not at the knowledge in a currently suppressed part of his mind that told him he was a pacifist. That he didn't like violence.  
It was Piper, and her hand on his other arm.

"You promised Chris, remember? You promised you'd be there for him. You can't do that if you're off on a rampage for things that can't be changed."

The anger, so out of place, levelled off, letting more off through the look in her eyes. "Aren't you angry?" he asked incredulously.

"Of course I'm angry, Leo! I'm past angry, I'm pissed at him at what he's just done to our boy, but _Chris_ needs our help _now_, and we _need_ to be around for that, and to help save little him from _ever_ having to go through that. We can be angry _later_. We've got to be _parents_ now."

The boiling rushing river all but filtered out, returning to only slightly more that normal -an amount he could deal with later. He thought clearer now: beyond just hurting Kalister.  
"Where is he? Who's with him?"

"Paige and Cadey, though he's pretty out of it," they turned away, her arm still on his, and he felt like they never split, that he never left her. Did she know he regretted it? Whatever he said, however great his destiny… he wanted her and their family. He didn't need anything else.  
"Paige, can you take Phoebe and Kalister to the attic? Make sure he can't move, alright?"

"Got it." She offered a quick smile, brushed Chris's hair once more, and left. For once, he didn't spare the two sisters another thought.  
All he could think about were the four most important people in his world.

"How about we go home too?" he offered, slipping his hand into Piper's.

Caden nodded, taking Chris's hand and taking Leo's spare one without a word. Could she orb? At that minute, he couldn't remember every seeing her do it. But he would find that out later. She wasn't mad at him any more, and Chris. Chris. Chris needed them… and an antidote to whatever _he_ gave him.  
The comfortably familiar surroundings of the Manor soon encased them, leaving Chris on the couch and they beside him.

Piper wasted no time, immediately jumping into action. "I'll get some blankets."

Leo understood her idea: moving Chris would just wake him up and that was not what he needed right now. "I'll get a pillow."

"I'll stay here."

-----------------------

**Author's Note:** WOOO! CHRIS IS ALIIIIIIIIIVE! WOOOOOO! Oh yeah... I already knew that _-ducks rotten tomatoes-_

**IMPORTANT**  
Anyway, for the final chapters I'm deciding on what the future COULD be like (I am evil and haven't decided myself yet...) but so far in the Evil Wyatt Timeline Piper and Leo have six kids. Should I give them a seventh in a (possible) Perfect Future as sort of a gift from TPTB? This 7th could either Ryan's twin, OR a triplet (lol) of the twins, or just another kid born between Caden and the twins. Since you're all so keen... i'll let you decide :)

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**ilovedrew88: Oh no! Please don't die! Yeah the Halliwell's lives do pretty much suck... and i so enjoy making them so :D :D **

**Queen of the Elven City: na-uh! _-sticks out tongue-_ your reviews make my days brighter! **

**Sparkling Cherries: lmao! the end of this arc or the end of the story? **

**TurNArounD: hmmm... i still feel guilty! sorry the update was a bit slow... y'know... Christmas and all ;) **

**Raya Sparrow: _-falls over giggling-_ oh hunney! you can orb if you want, we'll make you an honorary whitelighter or sumit :D  
you're making me blush lol, that's very sweet of you :)  
As Always: DON'T let him jump? Ooops sorry dude! Yeah who would be evil enough to kill off Chris? _-joins in with the glaring at evil Charmed Writers-_ **

**PrueTrudeau: it's a neat trick isn't it? :D :D **

**IMPORTANT  
**Anyway, for the final chapters I'm deciding on what the future COULD be like (I am evil and haven't decided myself yet...) but so far in the Evil Wyatt Timeline Piper and Leo have six kids. Should I give them a seventh in a (possible) Perfect Future as sort of a gift from TPTB? This 7th could either Ryan's twin, OR a triplet (lol) of the twins, or just another kid born between Caden and the twins. Since you're all so keen... i'll let you decide :)


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Twenty-One**

"He's having nightmares and I can't wake him up, mom." Piper perched on the couch frowning as Caden continued to babble after the only needed sentence was finished; apparently it was genetic. 

"Why don't you go and get some sleep for awhile, honey? I'll stay with him awhile." 

For all the good it'd done, she might as well have suggested that they all jump off a cliff and hand Wyatt to whatever evil was still out there.  
"I'm not leaving him!" Caden said obstinately, very _un_awares of the dark circles that were entrenched around her eyes.

"I won't let him fade away, Cadey." 

"Well… I know but…I'm not leaving him." 

Eliciting a long sigh, Piper turned her attentions to Chris on the couch, and stroked the hair from his face, lingering to touch his cheek.  
Unbidden, a song came to her mind, one other than 'Mamma's gonna buy' -that was Paige's own song. This one must've been on she heard at some point, there was no way she made it up, though for the minute she couldn't recollect where it was from.  
Chris writhed beneath the tangled blanket as some other horror tormented his sleep. Wanting to bring him a peaceful slumber (it seemed the least she could do), she started to sing quietly,  
"_Someone holds me safe and warm,  
Horses prance through a silver storm,  
Figures dancing gracefully,  
Across my memory._"

Chris stilled beneath her touch, his breaths coming slower and his mother relaxed her over tensed muscles.  
"See he's okay n-ow, oh."  
Caden was fast asleep, knelt by her brother and head resting next to his arm.

"I've put Wyatt to bed, though I think Darryl and Shelia must think we're insane by now." Leo stood in the doorway, head leaning on the old wooden frame. How long had he been standing there? Watching them. Watching her? She missed him, of course she did -she loved him even -but, or was it and? Lately things had been exactly how they, she, said they couldn't. But he was spending more time with them now, them as a family. "Do you remember when we saw that movie? The one with that song?" he said quietly, starting to unfold Caden but realising he couldn't move her anywhere further without running the risk of her waking. 

Piper shook her head, no, she didn't. "Do you?" 

"It was a few years ago, we were supposed to go out with Phoebe, Cole, Prue and a guy she was dating, Sam, I think. You'd spend the previous day vanquishing and you were too tired to bother with the cinema. So you and I stayed in, and this animated move was the only thing on." 

A smile graced Piper's lips as she crossed the room to prepared the second couch, "It rained really bad that night, didn't it? They all came back soaked!" A vague recollected flickered, being tired and warm, cosy in Leo's arms with popcorn and hot drinks. "I sang a song from _that_?"  
Fluffing up a pillow and readying a spare blanket from the pile she'd bought down Leo took the signal and orbed Cadey over.  
That bought a stir about her, one Piper put to rest with a caress and whispered reassurance.

"Anastasia. And apparently it works too…" Leo helped tuck in their little girl and Piper's stomach churned; from the pregnancy or recent events she didn't know… most likely both.  
She cast a sideways gaze at Leo, still frozen mid-sentence, hand paused millimetres from Caden's face, yet not by magic for his chest still moved with slow breaths. He was staring at her like Piper stared at Chris and she knew, just _knew_ on that instinctive level, what held his thoughts because they held hers too, ensnared them in a guilty grasp that formed the sharp edged lump lodged in her throat.  
How could they have done that? How could they let so much happen?  
And possibly hardest of all, how were they going to fix it this time? Events kept spinning out of control so fast they burned their hands.  
"We will get through this, Leo," her voice strained on the words that had to fight their way up, "I'll keep saying that until we do… we have to."

Leo shook his blonde head and Piper saw the man her little boy upstairs was supposed to become,  
"How could I have done that to him? Blame him -" Leo choked on his words, staring at the floor. Overcome with a need to comfort him, Piper relinquished her position on the couch and knelt before the struggling whitelighter as he tried to find a way to continue. "How could I not -how could I yell at him -b-blame him for that? He was just a boy and I -"

"Was an idiot, honey." Piper broke it to him gently, accompanying her words with one hand cupping his cheek, almost as if he were an upset child, but with a very different subtlety, "You were so busy being the perfect father to Wyatt you forgot how to care for Chris completely, and as good was forgot about the others…" 

Leo shook his head dismally, and she wondered for the first time how heavily this weighed on him. As much as her death did on her?  
They did not have time to feel sorry for themselves, however. And she was not going to let him; she was not going to put up with it, no. Not until they both could. Not until they both could grieve for the horrors of what was… what still could be.  
"No, Leo!" she whispered as forcefully as she dared, considering who they were seated between, "Don't you dare wallow in self pity now, _mister_. Yes, future you screwed up in a big way, but _newsflash_: that's not happened yet. Forewarned, forearmed, right? Like you said, we will fix this -for Chris. To give him a proper childhood and a good family. We will watch Wyatt. And as soon as Chris is born you will take him Up There and you will spend time with just you and him, as well as all the time you have with just you and Wyatt. D'you get it?"

"Where are we, exactly?" he asked, changing the subject to an entirely different yet very much relevant one. 

Pushing away the increasingly persistent exhaustion she sighed, she knew this was coming. Something had to be decided, but still… "We're in the living room, Leo." 

"_Piper._" 

"I know, Leo." 

"We can't keep up like this. _I_ can't keep this up; I need to know where we are. If you want this." 

"That depends, there was a reason we split up. _You_ left _us_." 

"And I was very confused, I didn't know what I wanted. Well, I did, I do, but nearly every Elder had been murdered, Piper. I was just trying to do what I thought was right, to be where I could help people the most." 

"What about your family, Leo?" Her voice broke mid-sentence. 

"Aren't I allowed to make mistakes?" 

"Making a mistake with us, with your children, is pretty hard to erase." 

"Piper," he took her hands and held her gaze, "I want _this_ more. I've talked to the other Elders… about giving up being an Elder and being a normal whitelighter again, but just for you and your sisters, and our kids and if they every have kids, their kids too." 

Piper rose quickly, anger giving her speed, "Just _when_ were you planning on telling me this, Leo? Huh?" Hot tears welled and fell down her cheeks; things were so close to being perfect something had to go wrong at some point. 

"I only started to discuss it a few days ago -we've both been a little preoccupied, don't you think? I just need to know, if you'll have me back?" Leo stood as well, pleading with his eyes, "You're all I want; you're all I've ever wanted. I was just…" 

"Being stupid?" 

"Ye-ah, honey." Carefully, softly, he wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled, one she did not mind returning. 

"I think we're… we're good. At least, I won't kick you out." 

----------------------- 

**Author's Note:** Two AS exams tomorrow... then work.... shoot me....

**IMPORTANT**  
Anyway, for the final chapters I'm deciding on what the future COULD be like (I am evil and haven't decided myself yet...) but so far in the Evil Wyatt Timeline Piper and Leo have six kids. Should I give them a seventh in a (possible) Perfect Future as sort of a gift from TPTB? This 7th could either Ryan's twin, OR a triplet (lol) of the twins, or just another kid born between Caden and the twins. Since you're all so keen... i'll let you decide :) 

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**  
**lovedrew88:**

end? the story? lol it's coming... **PrueTrudeau:**

ooo i hadn't thought of that _-thinks of all the spin offs-_ **TurNArounD: a bad future? jeez wasn't it bad enough already? i hadn't even considered that, but now.... more spin offs are coming into my braaaain!**

**Raya Sparrow: LMAO! Fall from your seat? i'm sorry hun! my dad was one of five, but that's as big as it gets in my life...**

**Sparkling Cherries: beeeeeeeeend to my wiiiiiiill beeeeend to my wiiiiiiiiill**

**IMPORTANT**  
Anyway, for the final chapters I'm deciding on what the future COULD be like (I am evil and haven't decided myself yet...) but so far in the Evil Wyatt Timeline Piper and Leo have six kids. Should I give them a seventh in a (possible) Perfect Future as sort of a gift from TPTB? This 7th could either Ryan's twin, OR a triplet (lol) of the twins, or just another kid born between Caden and the twins. Since you're all so keen... i'll let you decide :)   



	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Twenty-Two**

For sometime there was nothing. Blissful nothing. So much so that the actual _absence_ of colour and sound and of everything wasn't overwhelmingly obvious, simply because there _was nothing_ -no memories included. And with no memories, there was no guilt. No crushingly breathtakingly painful guilt.  
But since there was nothing, all these thoughts were not thoughts, just a vague awareness.  
Unfortunately, all things have an end.

The invasions of soft voices began what would be the final avalanche. At first they were softly spoken, barely heard murmurs, gradually getting louder and more difficult to ignore, to the point where it was impossible and he wanted to he wanted nothingness he wanted silence he wanted no memories of guilt he wanted the comforting solace it offered. 

Yet it was ripped away. By the ones he loved the most.  
A curse wrapped in a blessing.  
Would that be his fate?  
To forever have _either_ love, _or_ peace? Peace or love- _would you rather burn alive?_ -Never both at the same time? Never in his memory had the two coincided simultaneously. 

"…and mom's gone to the supermarket with Leo to get some groceries and so they told me to stay with you until you woke up but I wasn't going to leave you anyway and when you wake up Aunty Paige told me to tell you to drink this potion and to not let you whine your way out of it. Anyway so they've all been gone for a bit now and it's weird being in here 'specially when it's all quiet and everything. Mom keeps asking questions about our powers but I don't know what you want to do about that so I haven't told her anything and Leo is being really good he's always making sure you're okay and stays with you and he and mom are being gross a lot and little Wyatt isn't too bad he's kind of cute actually but it's weird 'cause I've never been bigger than him before. And Aunty Phoeb -" 

"You're babbling, Pippa." he rasped past a parched throat, "Sssh." 

"Chris! You're awake! Want some water?" she asked, holding a glass of the liquid to within his grasp. "How long have you been listenin'?" 

"Since around groceries." 

"_Chris_!" she whined, "That was ages ago! You let me go on for ages." 

"It's so much fun, Cadey."  
And, he knew. It would be family -love, and the peace would always be a memory, unattainable, just out of his reach, forever -_ would you rather burn alive?_ - brushing the very tips of his wanting fingers.  
He must've been staring in to space, for soon she was eying him warily.

"You okay, Perry?" 

"Hmm." 

"Hmm yes, or hmm, I still want to throw myself off a cliff?" 

He knew that would come up. It was impossible to avoid, but now? He'd been awake for less than five minutes, barely a minute even. And his interrogator was his eleven-year-old sister, who shouldn't even know what suicide was. "Can we not talk about that?" 

"Mom's gonna make you if I don't. And Aunty Paige says drink this or die." 

"What is it?" The 'drink' in question was a dull potion, murky brown crossed with red and a colourful dash of pink. 

"Something to make you feel better. Drink." 

"Yes _ma'am_." 

"You better believe it. Go on then. Down it like a beer." 

Oh she does not! "CADEN! What do you know about beer?" 

"If you drink that, I'll tell you." 

Mistake there, showing weakness. To anybody. Especially siblings.  
So he downed it.  
Like he would a beer.  
But it was nothing like a beer.  
He gagged.

"That's disgusting! What was in it? And spill, kiddo. You're eleven -what's with the downing of beer reference?" 

"Dunno. And Ryan used to have drinking contests with Jules, but he always lost, like, every time." 

"He _what_? When was that? He _knows_ he's not supposed to drink in front of the kids!" 

"I'm not a kid!" 

"_Caden_." 

"Technically we _both_ still are. He's nineteen. I'm eleven. You used to have to be twenty-one, right?" 

"Don't you get technical with me."  
For some reason, this made her smile.  
It made him feel better too. Something else had changed.  
What _was_ in that potion?

"But Jules and Ryan told me it was good for you." 

"They _would_." 

"Ssssh." 

He rolled his eyes. That was her way of ending a debate. Any debate, actually, since she was seven. Stubborn, came to mind, reminiscent of Mel's way of always having the last word. And when was Paige getting home? She'd tell him what was in that potion if he had to lock her in the stone shield to get it out of her.  
As if they were reading his thoughts, the missing relatives walked through the front door; Leo and Piper together, followed closely by a blushing Paige glued to her phone.  
"Where was Paige?" he whispered.

She winked conspiratorially, "At Uncle Richards." 

Leo was the first to notice, almost dropping the bags of shopping in his arms as his quick check-over lead to a double check of surprise.  
"Chris! Buddy! You're awake!"

"Ye-ah, listen, do you know what was in that potion Paige made?" 

"Sure," Leo set down the groceries on the floor and shrugged, "It's an antidote." 

"Antidote? To what?" 

Cadey flicked him on the temple with a snort, "The potion Kalister forced down your throat probably, dumbo." 

"_No_ name calling, Caden." Leo warned, "Paige found another bottle of it in Kalister's jacket and spent the last couple of days making this. Feel any different?" 

Chris nodded slowly. He _did_ feel different. He didn't feel like he did on the cliff. He felt… normal, well, as normal as he ever felt. The guilt was still there (did it ever fully leave him? Would it ever?) but it no longer overshadowed everything he saw, everything he heard and said, casting black thoughts in place of every light one… he remembered. 

_"…Chris? Chris daddy's gone now Chris? Chris he's gone Ryan an' Mel an' Nathan an' Jules made him g'way Chris. Chris? Perry he's gone now Perry. Perry? Perry he's gone, Mel kicked him in the place you're not supposed to Chris. Chris Ryan used bad words an' so did Mel an' Leo left so it's okay Chris? Chris? Perry? Chris you're scarin' me an' say something Chris? Perry you don't look good, you look like Bren did so mommy made him soup. Leo's gone now, Perry? Chris please stop it now 's'not funny no more Chris. Chris? Chris he's -" _

"It's past your bedtime, Cadey."  
Sitting right next to him, she was obviously tired and had been woken up. Most probably by the shouting match he'd just lost to Leo. 

"The screaming woke us up." 

"It did? Well, I guess we'll have to put you back to bed then, won't we?" He gave her a smile, only a small one; the best he could manage, and picked her up. 

"The twins an' Danny have gone alweady. Mel said I should sit wit' you 'cause you'd listen to me 'ventually. Ryan is wit' the twins 'cause Leo was scwary. We don' wan' him back." 

Chris nodded to Mel and Jules, sitting with their siblings, and placed Cadey into the other half of the bed she shared with he and Ryan since she wouldn't sleep through the night any other way now. "Why are you calling him Leo? You know mom doesn't like that." 

"He's not daddy no more. He's mean. He lied an' he shouted nasty things. Don' need Leo." 

"No?" He raised his eyebrows at the independent statement that came from his dependent little sister. He didn't believe that for a minute. 

Throwing her short arms around his neck she kissed him on the cheek, temporarily overcoming her disgust with all things 'Boy', "Nope, jus' you. I love you 'cause you're my bruva. An' I love Ry an' Ben and Bren' an' Mel an' Nate an' Evie an' Jules an' Imy an' Danny." 

"No one else?" 

She shook her head venomously, "No one else." 

And more, all the ones he treasured and kept safe were back again... 

_The crowd was wild. The cheerleaders jumped and clapped and waved their pompoms madly, leading the crowd into epic proportions of clamour. Ten seconds left on the clock. The scores were even in the final moments of the state-wide final. Clarkson with the ball. Passes to Duber. Duber to Halliwell. Halliwell…him!  
Dribbling the ball he dodged left and right, right again and left and left and he could see a shot! Three seconds left on the buzzer. There was just enough time. If he missed, they lost. If he scored, they won and they'd go to the nationals.  
Halliwell with the ball, he shoots…. He scores!  
Swish swish!  
_   
"You're remembering things, aren't you?" Caden asked, "Stuff Kalister wouldn't let you see." 

"Hmmhmm." Chris sat up for what felt like the first time in days (how long had it been?), "Leo where can we get a basketball?" 

Completely thrown, the Elder blinked blankly for a moment and opened his mouth like a goldfish stuck on repeat several times before he came back to himself. "I could probably find you one easy enough, why?" 

"It's been about ten years since I played. Think I could knock you flat?" 

- 

**Author's Note:** My my! It's been ages! Sorry about that... i will update again by the end of the week to make up! Screw my art exam! _-mopes-_ have i only got two readers now? _-pokes the lurkers-_

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**

**Sparkling Cherries: one vote for a spin-off, ay? lol.. i dunno what's going on either, i think it was because Piper was getting all mushy about Leo tucking in their kid and that their other kid was unconscious and tried to kill himself...**

**TurNArounD: eeeewie... leo... eeeeewie. i never thought of it like that. cause boooooiy is he old!**

**IMPORTANT**  
Anyway, for the final chapters I'm deciding on what the future COULD be like (I am evil and haven't decided myself yet...) but so far in the Evil Wyatt Timeline Piper and Leo have six kids. Should I give them a seventh in a (possible) Perfect Future as sort of a gift from TPTB? This 7th could either Ryan's twin, OR a triplet (lol) of the twins, or just another kid born between Caden and the twins. Since you're all so keen... i'll let you decide :)   



	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Twenty-Three**

Piper watched Chris and Cadey playing in the backyard and at Wyatt in his highchair. For a week nothing awful had happened.  
Seven _whole_ days.  
Of course Chris was still hell bent on his crusade to keep Wyatt good, and Leo was still an Elder. But for the minute at least (and she still could not bring herself to extend that to the next hour) her entire family was under one roof: Leo, standing behind her with his hands around her belly, Paige in the living room chatting with Richard, and Phoebe in her bedroom getting ready for a date with Jason.  
Finally the two had reconciled.  
Was it too good to be true?  
Baby Chris, due in five months, kicked.  
_Well is that a yes or a no, little guy?_ She thought with a smile.

"The Elders are still debating my request," Leo started, like he was reading her mind, "Gideon is being strangely obstinate, I don't understand him…"

"What's he doing, honey?"

"It's not what he's doing, it's what he's saying. He's adamant that I remain an Elder, that I return _again_ for good."

"Again."

"Yah. Again."

"You know, if you want to…"

Leo cut her off with a spin and a kiss.  
"I don't want to. I want to be with _you_ and our _family_. That's all I've ever wanted, Piper; you know that."

"But you love being an Elder so much…"

The expected jingle rang through the air, persistent. The final trial to decide Leo's fate. They'd had a week to prepare, but it wasn't enough.

"You don't have to worry about me changing my mind ever again, Piper, lets just leave it at that."  
Caden screamed as Chris tickled her to the floor and Piper still her racing heart with the reassurance that they were not screams of terror, or pain.  
"We still haven't saved the future." Leo continued.

"We've saved Chris for now though," she sighed, "I just have no idea how to _keep_ them all that way Leo. I mean, this is the first time Chris has stayed for any length of time all week! How can I, how can _we_ keep him safe if we don't know where he is?"

"He's doing what he came here to do, honey, you know -"

All too familiar jingles floated to their ears again, causing Leo to tense, "They've called the trial. I have to go."

"Come home soon, okay?"

Outside, the games had stopped. Chris and Caden stood in the doorway, gazing unhappily at their father.  
"Can we talk to you for a minute? Before you go?" Caden asked.

"In the garden?" Chris added.

"Okay sweetie." Kissing Piper gently he walked out into the garden, shutting the door soundly and leaving Piper behind to worry about their family, and for once, not where their relationship was going.

Leo took in their serious, worried expressions; so contrasting to the laughter he'd heard not a minute earlier, and sobered considerably. "What's wrong?"

"We want you to know something before you go to the Trial -"

"Because we might not see you again -"

"And we think you should know -"

"Just tell me."

"In our future, you die too."

"When?

"Two months before I came to the past. Wyatt decided he'd had enough of you. We think you were the last whitelighter too."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Extra incentive?"

"Sorta like, please don't get yourself killed?"

"And because, if you _do_ stay an Elder, you'll be safer."

"But I won't be a dad to you and your brothers. I will be home as soon as I can, do you hear me? I will come home to you, and your mom, and Wyatt, even if I have to clip my wings to do it. Okay? I _promise_."

-

"Pizza is so good."

"Eat with your mouth closed then."

"You do it."

"I'm a guy."

"So?"

"Yuck. Thanks Cadey."

"Shuddup." Pulling over the remote without any hands, and ignoring Chris' rolling eyes as she did so, Caden started channel flicking. Since Piper was taking a nap and Wyatt had been in bed asleep for many hours, Chris was in charge of taking care of Caden. That meant giving in to her pleas of staying up 'just five more minutes' and take-out pizza. Plain. Because she didn't like pepperoni, he didn't like mushrooms and neither of them liked pineapple, so it was just so much easier.  
Last time he checked Phoebe and Paige were in the attic, still trying to guess at the spell Kalister used on him to lock in the emotions he felt in the past.  
Minutes blended into hours as the marathon of some old, though not old in the past as they were now he supposed, continued. Friends. Three women and three men and a coffee shop, basically.

Somebody screamed in the attic, and it was closely followed by another and panicked shouts.  
Chris and Cadey jumped up in one movement and orbed to the source in the next.

"Oh my God! Who are they?" Phoebe and Paige were knelt over two limp, pale bodies sprawled awkwardly over the hardwood floor, desperately trying to revive them.

Both future-children froze.  
"Chris that's -"

"I know who they are. It's okay. It's okay. Pheeb's and Paige will fix this -"

"Where's Leo?" Paige cried over the body of the girl and boy.

She knew who it was.  
They'd all seen his memories.  
There was no mistake.

"LEO!"

Jules and Ryan.

Dead.

"He's Up There, no one can reach him." Piper said, resting her hands on each of their shoulders, "Wyatt?"

"Who else?" Chris spat bitterly, never taking his eyes off the bodies of his last brother and cousin.

"There's a note," said Phoebe, letting Paige go reluctantly and unpinning the perfectly folded paper, "It says '_Two down and one to go. The Resistance got boring, I warned you. Wyatt'._"

"One to go? Who does he mean?"

"Cadey." He replied distractedly, "He'll never kill me. He just wants to set me on edge."

"He's doing a pretty could job."

-

**Author's Note:** As promised, the second update of the week! _-prod's the lurkers harder-_

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**

**Sparkling Cherries: lol! your reviews make me laugh :) **

**ilovedrew88: heheheh yeh the babbling thing i got from the sister's. I can be genetic LOL!**

**IMPORTANT**   
Okay, the kid between Caden and the twins has DRAWN with Ryan's twin. So... feel free to vote again... LOL... i just need three people to vote! or even one i suppose, because i'll add them to the tally i already have (2 each!)


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Disclaimer:** I own _nothing_, save for my clothes, my books and my CD collection :D 

**The Ties That Bind**  
**Chapter Twenty-Four**

Stunned silence lay heavy upon the family; Paige knelt over the limp body of which she had been quietly assured was who she believed it was. Jules, or rather, Juliette Kelly Matthews-Montana. A few hesitant tears fell onto the girls scorched shirt, she didn't know why she was crying; she had never met this teenager -eighteen Caden had whispered- she never taught her to walk, or to talk, or saw her off to her first day of school, or even congratulated her on a good grade for homework, but she'd seen Chris' memories. This _dead_ child before her would have been her first child with Richard, and she never got to know her.  
Piper was in a similar state, sitting beside Ryan and stroking his hair in an effort to calm herself, or perhaps figure out how to break it to Leo that their firstborn had just killed another of his brothers.  
She didn't cry however, for in her mind the boy that lay dead in their attic hadn't died yet. It was the only way she could stay functional, stay _strong_ for the two other weeping children who had yet to move from the doorway.  
And Phoebe? Phoebe watched on bearing not only her sadness but Caden's as well, and in a small part of her mind she was vaguely grateful that her sisters took the blocking potion, and the same section knew that at some point Chris must have too.

"This has got to end _now_." Chris muttered angrily, eyes never leaving Ryan's dead body. 

"And how are you going to manage that?" asked Phoebe, "You've got to be careful, you know that." 

"I've _not_ been careful and I've _been_ careful, Pheeb's. I've got an idea…" Trailing off mid-sentence his body swirled away, with angry relatives left in his wake.

"HEY!"

Piper rubbed her belly for a moment and then looked up at Caden, "Do you know where he's gone?" 

The eleven year old shook her head. She didn't have any clue, or else she would be there with him. 

- 

Chris hastened through the never-ending corridor of Magic School and tried not to think. Thinking hurt too much. Thinking bought the images of Ryan and Jule's bodies back -  
Eyes so empty -  
Dead -  
Thinking could wait. Save Wyatt, and then grieve -  
They were just kids! Who's next Wyatt, Cadey? This is too much I can't -  
Gideon could help him. In his future Gideon was always around, always coming into their classes when they went to Magic School, always there with a bit of wisdom to impart -  
With all his knowledge and all his power he had to know something -  
He was an Elder. His last hope.

_"Gideon time is running out, demons are becoming less co-operative now that word has spread that, well, they usually **die** -" _

"It is for the greater good, Sigmund, and that affects everyone one no matter what their side." 

Chris froze not five paces from the door that stood mere inches ajar. The greater good? Elder's working with demons? Both sides? There was too much at stake now -  
Ryan Scott Sam Mel Evelyn Jules Danny; and Nate and Imy we don't even _know_ what happened to them -  
The invisibility washed over him like a wave breaking on a shore; it felt so natural -  
No one could yell at him now -  
Edging closer to the door he barely breathed for fear of being discovered - 

_"The Halliwell child must be ended, he is far too powerful. So much power was never supposed to be held within one being." _

"But he still just a boy -" 

"You doubt me?" 

"No, no of course not." 

"Then it is settled. There is no question, the Halliwell child will be killed. I will see to it that all the preparations are made, and you will arrange for the child to be separated for Piper Halliwell." 

He trusted him -  
An Elder was going to kill Wyatt -  
And Elder, a protector of the Light -  
Chris clenched his fists, felt nails bite into his skin with a satisfying hot twinge and orbed away without pause to murder -  
The Elder -  
The person Leo trusted -  
His father trusted -  
They all **TRUSTED** -

"It's **Gideon**!" he screamed, barley formed and seething. Piper and Paige stared at him with blank gazes, halfway through a quiet conversation. Behind them the stained window cast multicoloured shadows over the floor, and Caden was nowhere to be seen.  
"Gideon's been sending the demons! Gideon! He wants to kill Wyatt!"  
Red-faced and breathing heavily -thoughts so loud so angry -_would you rather burn alive_ - Piper placed gentle cooling hands on his cheeks as the ground lurched violently and an old glass lamp exploded.  
"I trusted him!"

"Slower. Take a breath and _slow down_." 

"Gideon. Gideon is the one that's been sending all the demons that've been trying to kill or turn -" 

"Chris! You alright?" Caden orbed into the attic still running, her feet hitting the floor with thundering, frantic steps. "You're moving the ground!" 

"GIDEON?" Piper roared, temporarily forgetting about the trial, "LEO! We need you down here NOW!" 

"Paige what's happening?" Caden asked, observing the scene with confusion. Stood in the centre, her mom and brother were shaking with barely contained fury, little Wyatt was watching them with wide eyes from his play pen and Paige still hovered beside the map of San Fransisco, crystal limp in her hand.  
A glass vial blew up.

Blue and white lights floated down from the ceiling, coalescing next to the angry figures with a confused look equal to Caden's.  
"Are you okay? Are the kids okay? What's wrong? What happened?"

"Your _friend_ and _mentor_ has been the one trying to kill Wyatt, Leo." she ground out, hands never moving from Chris' face and eyes never breaking the stare they were locked in. 

"Wh-What? What do you mean? Gideon?" 

"Yes." 

"How did -when did -who did… he wouldn't -he's an Elder -he's my friend he's -" 

"A git, dad." Chris spat, "He's going to kill Wyatt himself now that his other plans have failed." 

"You heard him say it? You heard him yourself?" 

"Yes." Both sets of eyes flicked to Leo, doubt shining through in pools of green. 

Leo's face fell blank; evidence present seconds before of disbelief, anger, and fear all disappearing into a void of nothingness. "Then I believe you. But who are they?" 

"We'll explain later." 

"Caden can you get Wyatt?" 

"Got him." 

"Then let's go. Everyone hold on to me." 

- 

**Author's Note:** Aaah well. it's almost over now i think. these next chapters will be pretty fast paced. next update on FRIDAY because i am just soooo nice, and it's already written ;)

**Review Thank You's and Replies To:**

**Sparkling Cherries: no worries :) in the end i had to vote because they kept drawing! so i voted for... your one, incidentally.**

**ilovedrew88: well done :D **

**Avius: you like WYATT? the EVIL one? huney... we need to talk ;)**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

Caden slouched against a stone pillar, gazing absently at the clouds that floated by not twenty metres from where they stood, "Why are we here?"

"I'm calling a Iudicium -a judgement on Gideon." The words had barely left Leo's mouth when Elders began to orb in, having been called in 'silently' to all the non-Elders present.

"What is the meaning of this, Leo?" asked one, a middle-aged man by the name of Hansson, murmurs of consenting questions backing up the single question by many of the golden-clad magical beings

"I'm sure he has good reason, Hansson." Said Gideon, a genial expression not betraying any feeling of fear or trepidation that he might have been feeling.

"But he is no longer an Elder, he has no right." Intoned a dark-skinned woman with large brown eyes, barely over her twenties.

Piper span to face Leo, "_What_?"

"I was going to get to that, before, before -Later?

"Later."

Leo nodded solemnly, locking onto her eyes with his own for second longer than normal before returning to the equally serious (in an entirely different way) situation at hand.  
"I am calling a Iudicium on an Elder, and I want to see that it is done."

"What is your accusation?"

"Do you have any evidence?"

"I ask first that the Charmed ones be allowed to block all orbing?"

"Permission granted."

The three witches took their cue, watched closely by all, especially one young Wyatt and Caden, who had never heard the spell before.

"Gideon has been planning and has attempted to have my son murdered on numerous occasions. And I ask that, as is procedure, that his thoughts be scoured to present not only my evidence, but to incriminate someone we all trusted with his own actions."

No further words were exchanged between the higher beings. As one they turned to face Gideon after a significant hesitation.

"What happens now?"

"We wait."

"Oh. How long for?"

"I don't know."

Piper held a sleeping Wyatt in her arms as she too dozed, sitting as comfortably as possible on the steps and resting her aching back against one side of a stone pillar. On the other side Chris and Caden lent against each other, fast asleep.  
Paige watched on with Phoebe and Leo, occasionally swapping to check and see if the Elders had moved at all. Even an inch. But they hadn't. Gideon was locked behind a wall of golden robes, and had been since five minutes into the silence. Now, well over an hour later, she felt her eyelids getting heavier, but she forced them open again anyway.  
"So you're not an Elder anymore?" Phoebe asked quietly, when the silence was starting to get oppressive.

"No," he replied gently, tearing his eyes away from Piper reluctantly, "I'm just your average Whitelighter again, and I'm only yours this time. No other charges."

"Impressive."

"I'm not taking any chances, Phoebe. I am not going to be that man in Chris' memories."  
Phoebe nodded and said no more, letting the silence have its way once more, until an Elder coughed and they everybody woke up.

"We have reached a decision."

"And?" Piper said impatiently, tapping a foot.

"Gideon is guilty."

Leo strode over to the doomed Elder, staring him down and barely listening to the sentence he wanted.

"His body will be incinerated, and his soul recycled."

There was fear in his mentor's eyes. Fear and surprise. He'd not expected to be discovered, especially before he'd succeeded.

"Sigmund will suffer the same punishment for the involvement on his part."

And when the moment came, Leo could find nothing to say to the man. So he span on his heel, nodded to his previous peers, and rejoined his family.

"We are sorry."

Piper took her husbands hand, shaking her head, "We know."

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**Author's Note:** deary dearie me! i COMPLETELY forgot that i hadn't uploaded the rest of the chapters! D'oh! OK, here is 25, 26 will be up in a couple of days i reckon and so on and so on :) review? pleeease?

**Review Thank You's:**

**Nubilina **: thanks :D

**iloveleo** : it depends on your point of view ;) from wyatt's point of view, witchcraft is out in the open and he is free to use his powers however he chooses :)


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

Chris lounged on the sofa tapping his fingers edgily. For the first time in many years, he had absolutely nothing to do.  
It was strange. Very strange. There were no pressing demons to vanquish, no leads to other demons to follow, no demon groups to infiltrate, no… nothing. He didn't even have to worry about what Caden was doing, because Paige and Phoebe had taken her out to a movie. Leo was at the club, sorting things out for tonight's band and Wyatt was at nursery school.

And, to make matters even worse, there was absolutely _nothing_ on television.

"Make room for your old mother, Chris!" Piper said, edging her way to the sofa with two mugs in hand.

"You're not old," he was quick to reply, "not compared to dad, anyway."

Piper swatted his legs and pursed her lips together into a thin line, arranging herself and her large belly as comfortably as possible before handing him one of the mugs and sipping her own steaming tea with a sigh.  
"If you need something to do, the kitchen needs cleaning."

"I'm good."

Nodding, they drank in a secure silence until Piper had nothing but dregs left and a pressing need for the toilet, to which she attended to and returned, finding that Chris hadn't moved, still resting peacefully.  
"How are you feeling, Christopher?"

He lifted a sleepy eyelid like it had a tonne weight attached to it and eyed her carefully as she sank onto the cushions again.  
"Not bored, if that's what you mean."

"Hmm."

Letting the nothingness continue, Piper relied on Chris to do the talking in his own time; she was discovering, now that she had time to pause for breath that he just needed a chance. A chance to think and sort through what he was feeling, and what he could risk letting people know.

"I guess. This is weird, y'know? I haven't got anything to do. There's no one to protect anymore."

"Innocents?"

"Aside from them -they'll always need saving, but you're safe, Wyatt's safe, Caden's safe… but there's no one else left." He rubbed a hand over his face distractedly, "And then when we go back, they'll all be back, but I'll just see them dead all the time."

"Uh-huh."

"Does dad even know about Ryan yet? Or Jules? And then there's actually going back…"

"You keep talking about going back,"

"I know."

"You're welcome to stay as long as you like."

"I know, but Caden needs to go to school… if it works like that."

"Why don't you go out? Relax? Mix with people your own age for a change?"

"I don't see that going down well if I get ID-ed, mom. For one, if I had one it would say I'm not even born yet, and two, I left it in the future."

"Smart ass."

Silence consumed them, one neither felt obliged to break immediately again, until, some minutes later, Piper bought the conversation back 'round to the point they had to sort out.  
Returning, as it were, to the future.

"You're going back soon, aren't you?"

He paused, holding her gaze for a full five seconds before looking away and speaking, "We have to: we don't belong here, mom. I've done what I came here to do and now, now the only thing left to do is go home, I guess."

"Have you told Cadey?"

"We talked about it last night, she's scared -"

"Don't deny you aren't either, Chris."

The twenty-two-year-old rolled his eyes at his mother but didn't disagree with her, instead he merely carried on, "and we don't know what to expect, but we've got each other so…"

"When, Chris?"

"Tomorrow night," he sighed, "We're going home tomorrow night."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

**Author's Note:** 27 up in a couple of days!

**Avius:** heheeeheee you'll soon know:)

**Sparkling Cherries:** i did kinda forget about it (ooooopsie, would forget my head if it wasn't tied down to my neck!) but i'm so happy to see you're back and still enjoying it:D yup i did, it struck me as a wicked way to go :D

**Night-Owl123:** :D

**bunn2007:** here ya go :D happily provided!


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

"I just want to see if everything went okay," Piper insisted, not pausing as she set up the candles, "I have to know if my babies will be alright, Paige."

Paige threw up her hands and rolled her eyes. She wasn't going to get anywhere now that Piper had dug her heels in.  
"You know you'll have to spill after. I've got babies too!"

"Ye-ah. Shoo! I want to be done before Leo gets back with Christopher."

Piper spoke the spell she'd written especially for this purpose, and promptly fell heavily upon the prearranged plumped up pillows, her consciousness travelling to where she wished.

"Wow. This is weird." Piper span around, recognising the voice as her own.

"I second that…. you're, me?"

"In about twenty or so years, yes." Piper, future Piper, smiled warmly; more wrinkles lined her face but they were not lines of worry and despair, they creased the edges of her eyes that had seen and been part of much laughter, "Now if I remember rightly you'll want to see them all?"

Time-travelling Piper could barely contain her desperation. How much longer was her future-self going to make her wait? Although… twenty years on, that would mean -  
"I didn't die… I won't die?"

"I was wondering how long it'd take for that to click. Chris was fourteen two months ago, so we will die, just at our proper time. Chris didn't just save Wyatt, he saved the future."

Future-Her led the way, sneaking out of the attic and edging down the even more creaky stairs to stop in a bedroom that was defiantly hers and Leo's. Pictures covered the nightstands and dressing table and chest of drawers, even the walls had not escaped and the nursery was now once again a closet.  
"Don't change their names." she stated quietly, a gentle trace of humour in her voice, "You'll think about it, and you'll want to, but don't."

"What about Chris?" Piper thought about her baby, who was out with his daddy when she left -his name was just one thing they had considered.

"He lied, his name was never Christopher Perry," Future-Her laughed, stifling it behind a hand, "Ask him what it really is and you'll know why."

"Christopher Leo." Piper shook her head in something between dismay and amusement, then, "They do get on now, right?"

"We couldn't ask for a better father to our kids. He didn't want to take any chances. Every game, every play, every recital, every birthday, every little thing -Leo's there. For all of them."

"What about Caden?"

"She's a handful, but she's six and they all were at that age. She always is. When you have her, try not to worry so much -I swear most of these grey hairs are from six years ago."

Anxiety laced through her veins at the comment, "What happened?"

"There'll be a complication or three, and she'll be early, and her first name will be Leo's idea, and her second name,"

"Will be mine. I've already decided since Phoebe and Paige are going to take Melinda, Charlotte, Prudence and Patty,"

"And what have you decided?"

"Alexandra?"

Future-Her laughed again, "I always did have good taste. You will get one name, by the way."

"Warren?"

"My my, I really am smart!"

"For Ryan," Piper nodded knowingly, "But I count seven baby pictures there though; I thought we only had six?"

Future-Her fingered the edge of a metallic photo frame, a large smile filling her features. "And we don't -didn't… you know what I mean. None of them were planned as such, and you should remember that, we just, _had_ them."

"Am I allowed to see them?"

Future-Her led Piper out of the bedroom and past a number of closed doors, other bedrooms, and a partially open one that led to somewhere new. Somewhere that didn't exist in Piper's time.  
"Where does that lead?"

"Ssh!" They halted and quickly hid in the bathroom, which was thankfully not in use. "I can't tell you things like that. And _please_ bear in mind the words of your, of _our_ spell. Only _I_ can see you, but our children _share_ our blood in a sense: they'll be able to hear or sense you to some degree. So _be. Quiet_."

"Oh. Right. Oops."

"Hmm."

Piper kept her mouth shut from then on, hands shaking and feet quaking; noises soon filtered into her hearing. No screams. No crying, happy voices. Laughing.

Wyatt, Ryan and one of her twins, Brennan? Were laying with another boy, who had to be Nathan, in an odd tangle of legs and bodies on the floor. Ben and Chris sat atop laughing whilst Juliette and Mel tickled the boy's feet closest to them. Leo watched on, along with Jason, with unhidden amusement.  
Jason? So Phoebe and Jason really would get back together?  
Who was missing? Future-Her must have read her confused expression because she nodded to the kitchen and found a few others -Imy and Evelyn cooking with Paige and Phoebe (Piper couldn't believe the latter even knew where the saucepans were.)  
That left Richard, Danielle and Caden unaccounted for.  
Sounds of high-pitched giggling tore through the open back door.  
Future-Her exchanged a few words with her Also-Future-Sisters and led the way into the now much extended garden.  
Danielle, Caden, Richard and _three other children_ were playing soccer, or rather, were kicking the ball about madly and screeching every other second.  
More children?  
Piper peered as close as she dared. Two boys and a girl. One of the boys was all Richard, so that was self-explanatory. The other two… Piper had the gut feeling the other boy was hers, and the girl Phoebe's. Three little unknowns, beautiful gifts of a perfect future.

They were all alive. They were all safe. Piper felt the weight in her heart lift and her shoulders able to relax much more than they'd been able to for months out of mind -since she learnt of what the future held.  
"Goodbye. And remember to take every opportunity. Quit being scared of change!"  
She heard Future-Her's distant farewell and knew that, since her heart's quest was completed the spell would bring her back. Returning her to where she belonged.

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**Author's Note:** ok so i got a little sidetracked... but here it is! because of work and the greenday concert 28 will probably be up on MONDAY. :D happy reviewing :D anyway. bit mushy. last chapter will be 28. might right a sequel/prequel or something to explain some bits, not sure. any suggestions?

**Review Thank You's and Replies:** **Sparkling Cherries:** sorry about the lil delay!

**Night-Owl123:** yup closing it is...

**bunn2007:** yep. done and dusted.

**Shakai:** you can't see, but i shuddered at the idea of writing a Mary-Sue by _accident_ lol. You like Caden? Not to M-S'ish? If so, my job is done :D I just needed a lil girl to give to Piper and i thought Chris could have a littlest sister lol.

**Avius:** aaaah stay... would be so cute, and so complicated lol. mayb in another story?


	28. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Leo hesitatingly held baby Chris in his arms, grinning like an idiot as the baby took his first scream, wrapping him comfortably in the blanket Phoebe added to the first one that already encased his second son. Ever so carefully, as if he were made of glass, Leo passed him to an exhausted Piper, who managed to smile through the tears and positively radiated joy. Indeed, the entire room seemed to be filled with it. To one side, Paige held Wyatt securely and talked to him about how he was a Big brother now, with a Little brother to look out for. She was careful to mention that he was still special, just that so was Chris.  
Phoebe looked over Piper's head, catching Leo's proud eyes with her own.  
"Magic died again _and_ he came out in _orbs_, Leo. That wasn't supposed to happen. Big Chris was shocked when he heard Wyatt came out swaddled in orbs."

"Why? Things have changed, the Elder's must have decided that Wyatt's singular mass of power wasn't good, even with _Him_ gone."

Phoebe's eyes widened in disbelief, "So now Chris is Twice-Blessed too?"

"I guess so, I mean, he has the same parents as Wyatt doesn't he?"

"Good point… but won't that mean…"

Piper lifted her head up from cooing at her baby, "Our children are Twice-Blessed. All of them. Welcome to the world, Christopher Leo Halliwell."

Leo wrapped his arms gently around the pair and whispered, "What happened to Perry?"

"I think he suits Leo better, those big green eyes the pair of you share, and he deserves a name to be proud of."

"My grandfather's name was Perry, what's not to be proud of there?"

"It's not your name, honey. I want you two to be as close as possible -" she paused at his resistant expression, giving him time to cut in,

"Caden called him Perry -"

"So Grams can have her P, but not officially how's that? Will you quit your whining? Chris and I need our sleep, y'know?"

Leo's smile widened further, to the point where Piper's tired mind idly wondered if it would split in two, and he kissed her forehead, orbing them all to their bedroom with a slight nod to Phoebe and Paige.

"Will everybody just HOLD IT!" Piper shouted, her hands thrown outwards as the entire studio froze. Well, everybody save Paige and her family, Phoebe and her family, and Piper's own loud and rowdy brood. So, actually, about eight people in total were frozen.  
The other five parents sighed in relief and thanked the eldest sister, even as Caden bawled loudly from the floor.  
"Hey now, what's wrong, Cadey?" Leo asked his youngest, swooping her up off the cold marble and holding her close.

"She's tired, dad," said Wyatt, even as he shifted uncomfortably in the shirt and tie that all the males were wearing for the day, "She had a nightmare last night so she was up with Chris an' me."

"That explains the storm then," Jason mused as he straightened Nathan's shirt, "Blew over half the garbage cans in the street -"

"They weren't over this morning?"

Chris coughed and raised a hand guiltily, "I put them all right again,"

"So did I." Wyatt admitted.

Leo gave them each warm smiles, "What your mother doesn't know won't hurt her,"

Wyatt's eyes widened, "But, personal gain -"

"It was for your sister, and magic, I suppose. Just get me and we'll do it by hand next time, y'hear?"

Both grinned widely, nodding in unison as Piper called them all to get back to their positions and that they-all-better-behave, an opinion seconded by Phoebe and Paige. Having had separate family photo's taken already; this was the last one to be done and nobody wanted to be there any longer than thirty minutes ago.

"JOSHUA RICHARD MATTHEWS-MONTANA YOU STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!"

"DOMINIC KIERAN HALLIWELL THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO!"

Paige and Piper's shrill voices resounded around the studio, making Caden cry harder and every other child snicker. Until a second ago, the two cousins (less than one month apart) had been making snowballs and orbing them at the walls and frozen mortals. With an annoyed shake of her head, Paige orbed to the boys to their 'previous positions' without a word.

"Everybody ready?"  
Leo handed Caden to Wyatt and took his place next to his wife.  
"Well here goes."

The room unfroze and the studio came back to full life, albeit missing seven minutes, and the children stayed still and smiled under duress of punishment from their respective parents.

"All done!"

"Can we go now?" Sam and Scott whined, already yanking at their ties.

"We can go," Piper said, "And I'll make some cookies when we get home if you're all good, okay?" When they made no move to go anywhere in favour of fighting with the ties some more, Piper nudged them in the direction of the car, "Car, go!"

Chris and Ryan were quick to follow their little brothers, even as Wyatt collected Dominic from where he'd drifted over to play with Josh, Paige and Richard's youngest, and Cadey sat at Leo's feet.

Jason eyed his own family as Phoebe rounded them all up to leave, "Is everything still okay for their birthday dinner?" he asked Leo.

"Seven o'clock, the cake's arriving in the morning," he nodded, "Piper's kept half the restaurant free for all the kids and, ten friends, right?"

Jason's eyes slid over to his soon-to-be-nine twins, Nathan and Evelyn, as they fought over who would sit where, "Right, and don't forget the valium."

Leo laughed, knowing he would have a similar situation to deal with in about a minute too, "Never leave home without it."

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**Author's Note:** meh. that's the end. ta daaa. now i just got to finish my star wars one and i will allow myself to post a new one :D

**Review Thank You's and Replies:** **Sparkling Cherries:** this is the last one! ever:O

**bunn2007:** wooo! i got a reader for the story if i write it :) that is actually very good to know cause that's always a big fear of mine -that nobody will read the stuff i write :(

**Avius:** lol hay hunny, i'll give ya a hug when i see you cause you're so loverly :)


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